NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With 9.7 seconds left, Kasey Hill darted down the court. The Gators had just erased an eight-point deficit in the final minutes, and now with the game tied, their point guard could complete the comeback.
Hill crossed the three-point line, slicing through defenders with his eyes locked on the rim.
But his left-handed layup missed left.
Forward Kevarrius Hayes had a chance to put it back but had the ball slapped out of his hands and the clock ran out.
“(Hill) got to the hole the same way we drew it up,” Hayes said. “I was kind of hoping for the foul there or him to make it, either one. It just didn’t work out.”
Florida didn’t get another chance.
The Commodores clamped down in overtime, outscoring UF 14-4 in the five-minute period.
After dropping two games to Vanderbilt in the regular season, Florida (24-8) fumbled its shot at redemption in the SEC Tournament, losing 72-62 on Friday night.
For the second straight year, the Gators were knocked out of the tournament in the quarterfinals.
Vanderbilt guard Riley LaChance scored a game-high 18 points behind 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range.
Hill and shooting guard KeVaughn Allen led Florida in scoring with 16 points apiece, both shooting 5-of-16 from the field.
UF forward Devin Robinson scored 11 but missed a free throw that would’ve put Florida ahead with 24 seconds left in the second half.
“The way we played, we didn’t deserve to win in the first place,” Robinson said.
Hayes said Florida made too many mistakes, like giving Vanderbilt open three-point attempts. “Even if they missed them, they still like got a feel for it,” Hayes said. “So then it made it easier for the next shot.”
Despite a pedestrian 19-14 record, Vanderbilt has proven itself to be one obstacle the Gators can’t overcome. Florida’s dropped five straight games to the Commodores over the last two seasons.
Point guard Chris Chiozza said it’s because Vanderbilt plays smart.
“They don’t make many mistakes,” Chiozza said. “They play their roles.”
Chiozza said Vanderbilt forward Jeff Roberson was the x-factor.
Roberson scored 16 points including a dagger of a dunk in the final minute of overtime, ending UF’s hopes of a miracle.
Chiozza didn’t feel much when he watched the play unfold.
“It’s a dunk. We dunk all the time,” Chiozza said. “It’s two points.”
Guard Canyon Barry echoed his teammates after the game: too many mistakes.
“Can’t help but think we kind of beat ourselves every time we played them,” Barry said.
The No. 17 Gators will still make the NCAA Tournament but will do so at arguably their lowest point of the season, losing three of their last four games.
“It sucks,” Barry said. “But we’ll be back.”
Contact Matt Brannon at mbrannon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727.
UF guard Kasey Hill lies on the court during Florida's 72-62 loss to Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference Tournament on March 10, 2017, in Nashville, Tennessee.
