ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — It really doesn’t make sense. The Florida Gators shot only 41 percent and they were an abysmal 5-24 on three-pointers. Plus they were killed on the boards. Michigan State outrebounded Florida, 36-20 and the Spartans shot 52.5 percent from the field. That’s a recipe for disaster any way you draw it up but somehow, someway that didn’t matter Friday night because the Gators kept their poise down the stretch to upset the second-ranked Spartans, 77-74, in the semi-finals of the Legends Classic.
The Gators (5-0) will face Rutgers, an 85-73 winner over UMass, in the championship game Saturday night.
Florida won the game at the foul line in the final 3:48, knocking down 11 of their 12 free throws to put the game away. Dan Werner, playing in front of a family and friends contingent of nearly 200 from nearby Middletown, provided the final margin when he knocked down two pressure-packed free throws with 17 seconds remaining.
Michigan State had two cracks at tying the game in the final 17 seconds but Durrell Summers missed one three-pointer with eight seconds left and another with one second left, leaving the Spartans stunned and setting off a wild end-of-the-game celebration by Billy Donovan’s Gators.
Florida was in danger of getting blown out in the second half but the Gators just wouldn’t go away. They trailed by seven, 50-43, with 13:43 remaining in the game when Kalin Lucas blew in for a layup to cap a 14-5 run to start the half. When Erving Walker turned the ball over 20 seconds later, the Spartans looked like they were ready to run away with the game but the Gators forced a turnover and Werner converted at the other end with a layup that stopped the bleeding temporarily.
The Gators inched back closer on an Alex Tyus jumper with 11:51 remaining and Werner dropped in a pair of free throws with 10:41 to bring the Gators back to 50-49.
Michigan State pushed the lead back to 54-49 but Kenny Boynton hit his only three of the game to bring it back within two 33 seconds later, the last time the Gators would score for almost three minutes. Michigan State stretched it back to five (57-52) and after an exchange of baskets. Again the Gators wouldn’t go away. They tied the score at 59-59 on a pair of Walker free throws with 5;59 left in the game and after a floater in the lane by Lucas, Chandler Parsons tied it back up at 61 with 5:21 to go.
Michigan State scored the next four points but two free throws by Walker and a layup by Ray Shipman after a Walker steal tied the game back at 65-65 with 3;43 to go. Parsons came through at the foul line, hitting four in a row that tied the game at 67 and again at 69 with 2:41 left. Following a Draymond Green layup that gave Michigan State its last lead of the game at 71-69, Walker delivered his only three of the game from 25 feet out to put Florida ahead 72-71.
Walker stretched it to 74-71 with two free throws with 1:34 remaining and after Sumers hit the second of two free throws for Michigan State, Walker went 1-2 with 42 seconds left to make it a three-point game once again, 75-72.
Lucas brought Michigan State back within one with 23 seconds remaining and on the inbounds play, the Spartans thought they had a five-second call but Parsons got a time out just before a violation could be called. After a 30-second timeout, Parsons got the ball inbounds to Werner who was fouled with 17 seconds to go. Werner hit both free throws to seal the win.
In the first half, the Gators used full court pressure to move out to a seven point lead three times — 27-20, 31-24 and 34-27 — but Michigan State battled back to tie the game at 34-34 with 2:08 left on a driving layup and free throw by Lucas, who finished with a game-high 20 points. Florida got a power move by Macklin to drop and a steal and a layup by Shipman with 1:05 remaining as the Gators were able to take a 38-36 lead into the locker at the half.
Although the Gators gave up too many layups by the Spartans, the game was indeed won on the defensive end once again. Florida’s full court pressure bothered Michigan State’s guards, who committed the bulk of the Spartans’ 22 turnovers. Florida had 11 steals in the game with Werner and Shipman picking Michigan State three times each.
Florida finished with five players in double figures, led by Parsons, who had 14 points. Walker, who didn’t score in the first half, scored 12 in the second half to go with seven assists. Tyus finished with 11 while Vern Macklin and Shipman each scored 10.
Werner finished with nine points, three rebounds, one assist and a steal while Boynton finished with six. Freshman Erik Murphy contributed five first half points off the bench.