AT THE BUZZER
CONNECTICUT 62, No. 15 FLORIDA 59
WHAT HAPPENED: Senior guard
Christian Vital hit two throws with 17.3 seconds left and the Huskies twice defended the Gators' final possession for a victory Sunday at wild and loud Gampel Pavilion. Down by three with the clock ticking, UF opted to go for a quick 2, with sophomore point guard
Andrew Nembhard driving to the basket, but missing a short jumper. Nembhard got the rebound, though, and kicked it to the top of the key for sophomore forward
Keyontae Johnson. Instead of taking the shot for the tie, Johnson opted for the extra pass, spotting
Noah Locke on the left wing, but the ball was intercepted by Vital, who dribbled out the final seconds to clinch the win. The Huskies were led by forward
Tyler Polley's 15 points and five rebounds, along with 15 more from Vital, who went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Forward
Kerry Blackshear Jr. led the Gators with 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 4:37 left in the game and his team down by five. Twice the Gators had the ball within a possession, but could never dig out of hole they put themselves in after shooting 31 percent and making just one of 11 3-point shots in the first half. The Huskies weren't much better through 20 minutes (33 percent, 2-for-12), but they led 25-20 at the break and led the rest of the way. UF was much better offensively in the second half (48 percent, 4-for-9 from deep), with Nembhard leading the way with 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists. UConn's 6-foot-11, 260-pound center
Josh Carlton tallied 13 points and eight rebounds down low, and made some huge second- and third-chance tip-ins when the Gators were trying to rally. Florida lost freshman guard
Tre Mann to a concussion in the second half, with his status to be determined via protocol.
WHAT IT MEANS: UF has played two high-major opponents (Florida State and UConn) and lost to both, and also had to gnash teeth to beat low-major Towson at home three nights earlier. Those sky-high preseason expectations have come with a cost. This will be a test for the leadership on this team, from the coaching staff and on down into the locker room. If anything good came out of this game it was the look of the offense after halftime (albeit, too little and too late).
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Polley, the 6-9 forward, is the only UConn player from the Sunshine State. He grew up in Miramar, Fla., and played at the Sagemont School (the same place that produced for UF standout
Egor Koulechov), but he was reared as a Gator-hater, with his father,
Tommy, a standout linebacker at Florida State during the 1990s. The younger Polley got his pound of orange-and-blue flesh Sunday, going 5-for-8 from the floor, with a trio of 3-balls.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: It's going to be a running theme in this space until it changes. The Gators have some outstanding outside shooters, but after going just 5-for-20 from the arc (that's with a 4-for-9 second half), UF is now 19-for-79 on the season -- or 24.1 percent.
UP NEXT: Florida (2-2) jumps right back into it with three games in four days at the Charleston (S.C.) Classic, starting with a Thursday afternoon first-round game against St. Joseph's (2-2). For comparison's sake (whatever that's worth this time of year), the Hawks won at UConn, 96-87, just four days ago, then lost Saturday night at Loyola-Chicago by 17. UF, pending the outcome, will face either Miami or Missouri State in second-round tournament play Friday.