That Florida won the basketball game on Friday afternoon is almost at this point, except it is the NCAA tournament, and the whole purpose is to survive and move forward.
The Gators achieved both with a 75–70 overtime win over No. 10 seed Virginia Tech at Hink Fieldhouse, but in the process they upped their schedule in a way that even the success of March Madness could not achieve.
During the afternoon Coach Mike White had his own Norman Dale, my team-on-the-floor opportunity. This was not a moment when he decided to withdraw Omar Payne from the game.
Payne injured Tennessee’s John Fulkerson with a terrible elbow during a SEC tournament game last week that was a play due to a quickie in the rules that did not result in a rejection for Payne. Florida lost that game and was eliminated, and therefore punishing him during the conference tournament was not an option. If, in White’s words, the “right thing” Florida was going to do, it would be a really hard swallow and accept that it could give the No. 7 seed Gators a chance to advance in the NCAA.
“Definitely a teaching moment,” White told reporters. “It’s hard he can’t play, obviously, but it was the right thing to do.” Omar handled it like a winner. Omar is very remorseful. we all make mistakes. He is a great youth. And we were able to overcome, fortunately, without him.
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White declined to say whether Payne would return to activity during the second round of the tournament, although he was asked if there was an agreement with Tennessee that included sitting with Payne until Fulkerson’s injury prevented him from action. Holds out.
During 45 minutes of basketball between the Gators and the Hokies, White had to reinforce his tough decision several times.
– When point guard Tyree Applebee was lost in the second half as he carried an unintentional elbow to the head for defense – Applebee had a gush on his forehead that required stitches and did not return – Payne remained on the bench, ever Even his medical does not remove the mask is still actively making his colleagues happy.
– Left in regulation 1:49 when power forward Osayi Osipho got out of the game.
– When power forward Anthony Duruji was disqualified with over 2:50 left in overtime, White sent a 6-5 freshman to Neils Lane, who had played just five minutes in the team’s most recent game.
“Quick decision with myself and two available assistant coaches … Which freshman wing do we keep there?” White told Sporting News. He said, “He hasn’t played much this season. At the time, it was like ‘Hey: let’s mix with other people and let’s not make mistakes.’ And you wouldn’t know it, maybe, if you were the only person watching on TV. Because they helped us reduce the stretch a little bit. “
It is not as though Florida has decided to withdraw Al Horford level player from tournament play, but Payne contributes 16 minutes, 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Oh, and 1.3 blocks, which is too harsh for a person to get off the bench. He would almost certainly have helped against Virginia Tech.
The Gators had their moments when it seemed as if the presence of a slightly enhanced Payne might have provided him with a badly missed game. They failed to get the ball inside and converted it to a 5 second count with 48 seconds remaining and a 3-point lead. Durji missed two free throws with 7.8 seconds left, one of which could have won without needing an additional five minutes. And none failed to take on Virginia Tech guard Nahim Allenyi when Duruji’s missed foul shot gave the Hokies one last shot on a 3-pointer.
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The Gators did not choose dishonesty to avoid the tie. Alleni was able to launch a 23-foot unopposed from the right wing – even though he had scored the Hokies’ last nine points – and force overtime. It would be the first player to be guarded in that situation, but it did not happen.
However, Florida prevailed, as center Colin Castleton gave up 19 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, a stunning performance that included shooting 7 to 8 fouls under pressure from the big game. Wing Scottish Lewis came off the bench to score 15 points. And point guard Trey Mann hit the right-wing trio, but all assured with 24 seconds left in the OT.
“We made it more interesting than necessary, but it showed a great deal of bounce and winning in overtime,” White said. “This team only continues to show character.”
The players were not the only ones wearing Florida colors.
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