College basketball

Gators have sinking feeling

LSU 65, FLORIDA 61: No. 7 UF opens the SEC tournament with a loss, its third straight, and must regroup for the NCAAs.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 15, 2003

NEW ORLEANS -- The big question this week was what to do with injured Florida forward Matt Bonner if the Gators had to play three games in three days at the SEC tournament.

The answer is he can sit at home and rest his foot while he and teammates watch the rest of the tournament on television.

The No. 7 Gators took an early nine-point lead over LSU, then allowed the Tigers to go on a 17-3 run en route to a 65-61 victory in the quarterfinals Friday in front of 16,548 at the Louisiana Superdome.

The Tigers (21-9) have won seven straight and play Mississippi State in today's semifinals.

Florida, 24-7 and loser of three straight, will be at home trying to figure out how to right the ship before the NCAA Tournament begins Thursday. The Gators boarded a bus for the airport an hour after the game as a long line of Kentucky fans stood nearby -- gleefully waving goodbye.

"I think by going into the tournament on a loss, we won't overlook anybody because obviously we thought we had this won today," center David Lee said. "A lower seed beat a higher seed today, so it's always possible in the NCAA Tournament in the first round. I think we can use this as a wakeup call."

After pulling within 62-61 with 2:32 left, Florida went scoreless on three consecutive possessions -- two missed free throws, a missed shot in the lane by Anthony Roberson (seven points, 1-of-6 from 3-point range) and a block of Bonner's shot with 27 seconds left. LSU was 3-of-6 from the line in the final 24 seconds, but it was enough.

Trailing 64-61, Roberson drove the lane, but shot an air ball with 13 seconds left.

"We wanted a quick score and a two-possession game," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "I thought coming down the stretch they would switch (so as) not to give up the 3-point shot. So the best thing to do in that situation is to drive the ball to the basket. We wanted to try to lengthen the game, but we came up a little short in the lane."

A big part of Florida's problem was the absence of Lee, who picked up two fouls in the first six minutes and played just 16:41. LSU took advantage of the hole in Florida's post game, scoring 32 in the paint and dominating with a 28-19 edge in defensive rebounds. LSU also shot 42 percent from the field (64 percent in the first half).

"I thought the constant in our team was we kept defending, getting some critical stops and getting some big rebounds and we were able to outrebound them," LSU coach John Brady said.

The Gators shot 36 percent and 30 percent from 3-point range in the first half and trailed 40-27 at halftime. Ronald Dupree had 19 of his game-high 24 points in the first half and teammate Jaime Lloreda scored eight of his 21. Bonner led all Florida scorers with 15.

"In the first half we didn't have an answer for Dupree and in the second half we didn't have an answer for Lloreda," Donovan said. "Offensively we didn't perform and shoot the ball very well."

Florida opened the second half with a 14-4 run to pull within 44-41, but every time the Gators got close, LSU rallied and Florida self-destructed. Trailing 55-52 with 10:34 left, Florida went 4:46 without scoring, turning over the ball five times.

The Gators still hope to open the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa next week, but where they will be seeded is up in the air. At this point, Donovan said that's the least of their worries.

"To me, it could be a great, great taste in their mouths," Donovan said. "Now you got a chance to taste being out. Now you're out. The next time it happens, the season is over."

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