After losing in double overtime to BYU in last season’s NCAA 1st round, the Florida Gators got the revenge they sought by beating BYU 83-74 in the Southeast Regional Semifinals, needing just one overtime to accomplish the feat.
Despite the 32 points that BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette was able to manage, the size of Florida proved too much for a Cougar team that simply couldn’t control the Gator front line. 10 offensive rebounds led to 7 second-chance points for UF and one crucial offensive board allowed Florida to take the final shot in regulation. While the Gators were not able to convert, the rebound prevented BYU from having their shot at last-second victory, a feat that was well-within reach considering the offensive firepower Fredette and company bring.
Though the overtime battle took Florida to the limit, their struggle in moving forward to the Elite 8 was completely of their own doing. With the Gators out-shooting BYU by over 12%, the only way the Cougars got this one into an extra frame was through the dismal foul shooting of UF. In fact, the Gators shot better from the field (47.7%) than they did from the line (10/22 or 45.5%).
Alex Tyus was a force inside that BYU never quite got under control. The 6-8 senior forward paced Florida with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and 2 assists to the scoring effort. Florida has 3 more players in double-digits, while BYU’s 2nd leading scorer only managed 9 points.
Florida moves on to play against the winner of tonight’s game between Butler and Wisconsin in Saturday’s regional final.
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