Florida’s SEC Season Ends With Crushing Loss To Texas A&M

In an absolute thriller in Tampa the Gators battled back from a double digit deficit in the second half to force overtime but in the extra frame their magic ran out and the Texas A&M Aggies came away with an 83-80 win. With the loss Florida is out of the SEC Tournament and has almost certainly seen their NCAA Tournament bubble pop. As we have seen in many games this season the Gators showed utmost resolve and heart, grinding back from major second half deficits where they could have laid down and died, but once again the hole they dug for themselves was too much. 

 

Final Sequences

 

At the end of regulation the Aggies led by 7 with 52 seconds remaining making a Texas A&M victory seem inevitable. However, a couple of Gators weren’t going to let that happen. A Tuon Gatkek steal in the full court press gave the Gators an extra possession they needed and some incredible shot making from Kowacie Reeves was able to tie the game and give the Gators a second life. First it was a four-point play where he drew contact after a pump fake, side step three, and next it was a contested pull up from the left corner that few players in college basketball could make that he drilled to tie the game and force an extra frame.

 

In overtime the Gators led by two when a controversial call took place. The Aggies were inbounding from the baseline when a sloppy pass was tipped and originally called out of bounds off TAMU. However, after a conference among the refs they called it a foul on Phlandrous Fleming and the Aggies went to the line where they hit two free throws, tying the game in the final minute. On the other end of the floor with the game tied, Phlandrous Fleming had his number called and shot a pull up three from straight on. He missed badly, and the ball was wedgied between the rim and the backboard and the possession arrow pointed the direction of Texas A&M.

 

On the final possession, Hassan Diarra hit a three with 0.4 seconds remaining, winning the game and advancing the Aggies. 

 

Microcosm Of A Season

 

In a lot of ways, this SEC Tournament game was a perfect microcosm of the season. They struggled to shoot the three (21%) and turned the ball an alarming amount (18 times) which have been problems all year, and they also struggled to secure some key defensive rebounds that would have changed the complexion of the game. On the positive side, once again we saw the Gators fight back for a deficit that many teams wouldn’t have been able to battle back from. There is something often poetic about postseason play where a team’s biggest struggles and biggest strengths are both spotlighted and that’s just what happened in this one. 

 

Changing Lineups

 

Florida has been mixing up their lineups all year long, never completely sold on a regular rotation, and that was the case once again in the SEC Tournament. In the first 10 minutes of the game the Gators had already gone to two different lineups that hadn’t played together all season long, an example for how much they were searching for answers. The reason they were scrambling is because they started the game out to a quick deficit, possibly because their starting lineup of…

 

Tyree Appleby

Myreon Jones

Phlandrous Fleming

Anthony Duruji

Colin Castleton

 

…had struggled throughout SEC play.

 

Ultimately, Florida’s two best players were two unlikely heroes. For starters, it was freshman Kowacie Reeves who had a career game with 21 points and 6 rebounds. In addition to his huge three pointers that tied the game in regulation he had some key buckets to bring the Gators back earlier in the second half and he also started Florida’s scoring in overtime with a tough and-1. Reeves looks the part of an absolute star and he showed why against the Aggies.

 

Sophomore Niels Lane also had a career night with 16 points and 9 rebounds while providing elite defense on the other end. You always know Lane is going to bring excellence on the defensive end but his offense has often been a question, though he stepped up in a huge way with 16 efficient points. Lane had some powerful drives to the hoop and crafty finishes, alongside a pure three-pointer that was huge for his confidence. 

 

Unfortunately the situation around these players getting to have career nights was due to some veteran players struggling, but it was great to see the talents of these two on display. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

Florida’s comeback was a sight to behold but they were behind at that point for a reason, playing sloppy on both ends of the floor and putting themselves in the situation where they needed to scramble to come back and make it a game. It never fully seemed like the Gators knew the style of play they wanted to use or the lineups that would make for the ideal rotation. To still be searching for those things this late speaks to why this team finished 9th in the SEC and unfortunately was ousted from the tournament after their initial game.

 

Florida will not make the NCAA Tournament unless some absolute craziness occurs, and they will now have a decision to make whether their host of veteran players wants to compete in the NIT or not.

 

Eric Fawcett
Eric is a basketball coach and writer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His work has been found at NBA international properties, ESPN, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Lindy's and others. He loves zone defenses, the extra pass, and a 30 second shot clock. Growing up in Canada, an American channel showing SEC basketball games was his first exposure to Gator hoops, and he has been hooked ever since. You can follow him on Twitter at @ericfawcett_.

1 COMMENT

  1. Eric, Typically a big fan. Not on this article. We did not run out of luck. We lost this game because for the 2nd time, the same player (an upper classman) trird to be a hero instead of working for a better shot. Our hero threw up a poor shoot from 3 point range that lodges against the backboard, There was still 35+ secs left to play in 1st OT. Gators & Aggies are tied. This was the 2nd time this player has done the same thing. We lost both games!
    This will give credence to the lynch Mike White crowd.