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Gators survive OT scare

UF 104, TENN. 100 (OT): Brett Nelson ties it late and gives the No. 3 Gators the lead for good.

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 10, 2002

[AP photo] Florida's Brett Nelson shoots over Tennessee's Thaydeus Holden during the first half.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Brett Nelson's 3-point shooting was off until No.3 Florida needed it the most.

Nelson scored 20, including two free throws and a 3-pointer in overtime, to help the Gators extend their winning streak to 12 with a 104-100 victory over Tennessee on Wednesday.

Nelson was 4-of-13 from beyond the arc.

"The ones I used to make I was missing today," Nelson said. "But at the end of the game, I wanted the ball in my hands.

"I came down and shot it. And it went down for me."

Florida (13-1, 2-0) trailed by three with 10 seconds left in regulation before Nelson's shot from far beyond the 3-point line with 3.1 seconds left and a defender in his face tied it at 94 and forced overtime.

"Nelson didn't make an easy shot. He missed some good looks, but he made the big play," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.

"I didn't know if it had a chance to go in. It was a difficult shot. It gave us a new sense of life."

Jon Higgins tied it in overtime for Tennessee (6-7, 1-1), but Nelson's final 3-pointer of the game put Florida ahead for good at 99-96.

His two free throws with 28 seconds left sealed it.

"We were just dead in the water, and we found a way to win this basketball game," Donovan said.

"I just couldn't be any more prouder of our kids; the way they hung in there and just fought and battled and scrapped."

The Volunteers, who lost twice to Florida last season, couldn't muster enough offense in overtime nor stop the Gators.

Vincent Yarbrough missed the first of three free throws but made the last two to pull Tennessee within 100-98 with 28 seconds left. But the Volunteers couldn't get any closer.

Tennessee has lost three other games this season when a 3-pointer in the final seconds determined the outcome.

"It's hard to imagine that same type of thing happened again," Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson said.

"But Nelson stepped up and made the big shot. That's it."

The Gators had six players score in double figures as the Volunteers played them close the entire way.

Justin Hamilton had 22 points and 10 assists. Matt Bonner scored 19, and James White 18 for Florida.

David Lee scored 12, and Udonis Haslem had 11 before fouling out.

Yarbrough finished with 26 points while Ron Slay and Marcus Haislip had 20 and Thaydeus Holden added 12 for the Volunteers, who held the rebounding edge, 50-43.

Tennessee led 90-86 with a minute left.

But the Gators cut it to one twice before Slay made two free throws to put the Volunteers ahead 94-91 with 10 seconds left in regulation.

Tennessee fans, who had already celebrated when Georgia's 88-84 victory over No.8 Kentucky was announced over the loudspeakers, were poised to spill onto the court to revel in the first big win of Peterson's first season.

But then Nelson hit the 3 to tie it, and Higgins' long 3 was off at the buzzer.

The Volunteers trailed by eight several times early in the second half but continued to chip away at Florida's lead.

Finally, an 11-1 run put them back in the game.

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