Florida’s March magic ran out Sunday.
Two days after his miracle three-pointer lifted Florida to the Elite Eight, UF guard Chris Chiozza tried to save his team again.
He made a last-ditch drive to the basket, down by five points with under 20 seconds left. The ball never made it to the hoop.
South Carolina defender PJ Dozier stripped and flipped the ball ahead to a wide-open teammate for a dunk and a celebration.
The No. 7 seed Gamecocks came back from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat No. 4 seed Florida 77-70 in New York. South Carolina advanced to its first Final Four in school history, while Florida’s season ended in the Elite Eight.
The Gators carried the momentum from their Sweet 16 buzzer-beating win over Wisconsin into a polished first-half performance against South Carolina.
The Gators’ offense had its best start in the NCAA Tournament with 40 first-half points, shooting 56 percent from the field. After trailing South Carolina 24-20 at one point, the Gators made five straight three-pointers from four players as part of an 18-6 UF run. South Carolina cut Florida’s lead to seven points heading into halftime, 40-33.
“Obviously happy we made some shots to put us in this position,” UF coach Mike White said at the half.
The second half was different. Florida was in foul trouble fast, committing seven fouls in five minutes. The Gamecocks attempted 28 second-half free throws to Florida’s eight.
UF’s offense broke down, too. After making 7-of-12 first-half three-pointers, the Gators didn’t make a shot from beyond the arc in the second, going 0-for-14 from three-point range.
“I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know we were 0-for-14,” White said after the game. “I know we were really struggling to make a shot. I didn’t know how bad it was.”
Florida senior Justin Leon was the only Gator to make more than four shots, finishing with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting in his last game for UF.
Even Leon couldn’t explain Florida’s inability to make shots in the second half.
“Maybe they just weren’t going in, because we still got the same looks that we got in the first half,” Leon said. “Tonight just wasn’t our night to win.”
The Gators’ leading scorer on the season, KeVaughn Allen, shot 4-of-12 from the field for 13 points.
As a team, the Gators shot 11-of-35 from the field in the second half, about 31 percent.
The only thing that didn’t change in the second period was the play of South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell. The SEC’s Player of the Year scored 26 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, 9-of-10 on free throws and pulling in seven rebounds.
Florida finished with a 27-9 record, finishing second behind Kentucky in the SEC standings and earning White SEC Coach of the Year honors in his second season at UF. One year after the Gators lost the NIT quarterfinals, they lost in the NCAA Tournament’s quarterfinals with their best regular-season record since 2013-14.
For White, UF’s season and final loss were a testament to the strength of the SEC.
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s the best league, but it’s building, it’s talented, it’s quick, it’s fast, it’s strong, it’s well coached,” White said, praising South Carolina coach Frank Martin.
“He’s one of those guys — I’m glad he’s going. I would rather have gone than Frank, but I’m happy he’s going.”
Matt Brannon is the assistant sports editor. Contact him at mbrannon@alligator.org, and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727.
UF forward Justin Leon walks off the court as South Carolina players celebrate their 77-70 win against Florida in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
