Gators run out of gas in double overtime, fall in NCAAs
By Bud L. Ellis
Since the last time the Florida Gators lost in the NCAA Tournament, two national championships have been brought home to Gainesville.
But not this year. The 10th-seed Gators gave No. 7 Brigham Young all it wanted in a spirited first-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, but eventually ran out of gas in a 99-92 double-overtime loss at Oklahoma City.
It’s the first NCAA loss for Florida (21-13) since falling to Villanova in the 2005 tournament. In 2006 and 2007, the Gators won the national championship, then didn’t qualify for the NCAAs the past two years.
Kenny Boynton led the Gators with 27 points, helping bring Florida back from 13 points down in the second half to force the extra time. Boynton hit four 3-pointers in the second half. Chandler Parsons missed shots at the end of regulation and overtime that would’ve won the game for Florida.
The Gators stayed in it despite shooting just 43.6 percent from the field. Florida hit 10 3-pointers. Parsons led the team with 10 rebounds and scored 20 points. Vernon Macklin scored 16 points and Erving Walker added 12 for a Florida team that closed the season with losses in five of its final six.
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Monday, March 22, 2010 at 8:59 pm by bud
Tags: Brigham Young, Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Florida Gators, Kenny Boynton, NCAA Tournament, Vernon Macklin, Villanova
