ATHENS, Ga. - During a timeout with 35 seconds left in the UF-Georgia basketball game on Saturday, the public address announcer at Stegeman Coliseum had a simple request. He wanted fans to please refrain from running onto the court, if they would be so kind.
Instead, Georgia forward Terrance Woodbury and center Albert Jackson went to them.
In a game where it seemed fans showed up at halftime when they heard it wasn't a 20-point blowout in favor of the Gators, the Bulldogs spread some love by earning their first Southeastern Conference win, charging into the student section and jumping for joy.
A shirtless Georgia fan had his chest signed by members of the team. A mosh pit formed around an ecstatic Jackson.
"It's a terrific day for Georgia and the kids on this team," Bulldogs coach Pete Herrmann said.
That might be a bit of an understatement.
Georgia is a mess of a program. The Bulldogs are using an interim coach after firing Dennis Felton when they lost to the Gators just three weeks ago. They struggled to draw fans for this game against a hated rival, and the 10,000-seat arena was barely half full even at its peak Saturday. A chant of "orange" and "blue" broke out in the second half.
This is a program whose public address announcer deemed it necessary to remind previously joyless fans to stay off the court in case of a lone SEC victory.
It was a delightful scene, really. Barking fans finally got repaid for their loyalty. An entire conference season's worth of frustration rolled right off the backs of Georgia players.
But now that frustration weighs heavy on UF, and the Gators' season is in doubt after a loss that should never have been, a loss that could spiral their year out of control. The team has lost two straight games for the first time all season. UF has just two conference victories on the road. At a time when tournament resumes start getting dissected, bracket makers might find the Gators empty inside.
The craziest part of the Gators' three losses in their last four games is that they've all been decided in last-minute situations. If Chandler Parsons hits one free throw against South Carolina on Jan. 21, if Kentucky's Jodie Meeks doesn't drain a falling-away 3-pointer on Tuesday and if UF finds a way to sink a basket in the waning seconds Saturday, this team could have one conference loss and a berth in the NCAA Tournament locked up.
Saturday brought a loss that shouldn't have been. But the Gators can't let two straight heart-crushing defeats bring them down.
Last season, UF lost four of its first five games in February, then lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament and faded into NIT obscurity.
UF coach Billy Donovan said after the game he isn't worried about the team's confidence, but after a defeat like this, it might be time to worry.
Half an hour after the game had ended, Stegeman Coliseum was empty of fans. They might forget about this game in one week or maybe even one day.
But if UF forgets the sting of this loss to Georgia in one week, and if UF is not worried now, an NCAA Tournament bid will elude the Gators again.
