The No. 2 Florida Gators advanced on to the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament after surviving, 83-74, in overtime against the No. 3 Brigham Young University Cougars in the Southeast Region Semifinals at the New Orleans Arena.
BYU star senior Jimmer Fredette put on his typical outstanding performance, scoring 32 points in what will be his final game as a college athlete. But the Gators had too much depth in talent, overpowering BYU offensively and defensively.
Florida senior Alex Tyus, normally the Gators’ fifth-leading scorer with eight points per game, exploded for a team-high double-double of 19 points and 17 rebounds.
Florida’s biggest play of the game came on an offensive rebound made in the final 10 seconds of regulation, which kept BYU’s Fredette, the nation’s leading scorer, from having a game-winning shot opportunity.
“It was just a little frustration, just because that’s what happens sometimes during basketball games,” said Fredette, who started out the game cold, missing his first six shot attempts. “But I tried to keep an even keel, and we were still right in there at the end of the game. We just didn’t win.”
Florida’s Chander Parsons said Fredette’s struggles are a reflection of how tough the Gators play defensively.
“That’s just a credit to our guys on defense — especially Kenny Boynton,” Parsons said of his teammate, who was assigned to guard Fredette the entire game. “He stayed with him and made it difficult for him out there.
Florida (29-7 overall) will now face No. 8 Butler on Saturday, March 26 at 4:30 p.m., while BYU will complete its season with a 32-5 record.
