Gators hold off Vols for OT win

Posted 6:58AM on Thursday 10th January 2002 ( 23 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - Matt Bonner had a bloody nose, and Brett Nelson's mouth was bleeding. Three Florida players fouled out. After a hard-fought 104-100 overtime win over Tennessee, the third-ranked Gators (13-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) believe the nights of winning by 20 points are over. ``When conference play starts, teams are out to get you. We aren't going to be blowing people out from here on out,'' said Nelson, who hit two key 3-pointers Wednesday night. The Volunteers (6-7, 1-1) were ahead by three points with 20 seconds to go, but Nelson hit a 3-pointer to force overtime and made another in OT to put the Gators ahead for good. Florida came into the game beating opponents by an average of 22.8 points, the best margin in the NCAA. Tennessee's forwards Vincent Yarbrough, Marcus Haislip and Ron Slay each scored at least 20 points for the second straight game to make it much closer. Slay had forced Florida's big man, Udonis Haslem, into committing his fifth foul with 2:42 remaining in regulation. But that wasn't enough to finish off Florida. Jon Higgins tied it in overtime for Tennessee, 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. Yarbrough missed the first of three free throws but made the last two to pull Tennessee within 100-98 with 28 seconds remaining. But the Vols, who had fought hard the entire game, couldn't get any closer. ``I thought both teams the last five minutes of the game were emotionally and physically exhausted. We just found a way to win the game,'' Florida coach Billy Donovan said. ``I think it's a game Tennessee could have easily won. It's a game we feel fortunate that we won.'' Tennessee has lost three other games this season when a 3-point shot in the final seconds determined the outcome. The Gators had six players score in double figures as the Vols played them close the entire way. Justin Hamilton added 22 points and 10 assists, Bonner scored 19 points and James White had 18 for Florida. David Lee scored 12 points and Haslem had 11 before fouling out. Yarbrough finished with 26 points while Slay and Haislip each had 20 and Thaydeus Holden added 12 for the Vols, who surprisingly had the rebounding edge, 50-43. Slay had 11 rebounds and Haislip had eight and four blocks. ``Haislip is playing at a different level (than last year),'' Donovan said. ``Their front line is as good as any front line we've faced all year.'' That was no consolation for the Vols, who haven't started SEC play with a losing record since 1993-94. Tennessee has shown hustle so far but has struggled to put it all together under new coach Buzz Peterson. ``We fought, scrapped and played hard. If we keep it up and show this kind of intensity, we will win some games,'' Peterson said. Tennessee was ahead 90-86 with a minute to go, but the Gators cut it to one point twice before Slay made two free throws to put the Vols 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-pointer to tie it, and Higgins' long 3-pointer was off at the buzzer. The Vols were down 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.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/1/200345