In a night in the SEC with significant NCAA tournament implications, No. 5 Florida beat No. 7 Alabama, and unranked Ole Miss upended No. 4 Tennessee. The results shook up the race for a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed in which Florida, Alabama and Tennessee all entered the night as contenders.
Florida’s 99-94 road win win spoiled Alabama’s Senior Night in Mark Sears’ final home game and gave Florida a leg up over the Crimson Tide in the race for what projects as the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Tennessee appeared to have a leg up over both rivals entering the night, but leaves Oxford on shakier ground after a 78-76 loss on the road.
Florida fends off Alabama
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama ran out of rallies after overcoming multiple Florida leads. Florida opened a 15-8 edge that Alabama answered with a 9-0 run. The Gators retook the lead at 36-31, and Alabama answered again with a 9-0 run.
But Alabama had no response to Florida’s final surge. The Gators turned a 50-47 second-half deficit into a 75-63 lead with 7:41 remaining that Alabama couldn’t overcome.
Star guards come up big as Florida gains edge inside
Sears and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. went toe-to-toe in a showcase of All-SEC guards. But Florida’s superior rebounding and half-court execution limited Alabama’s normally potent transition offense. Florida dominated the glass on both sides of the court to repeatedly create its own transition opportunities and second-chance points.
Alabama stopped Florida from running away with the game and cut its deficit to 94-90 with 20.5 seconds remaining. But it never again cut Florida’s lead to one possession.
Clayton finished the game with 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Sophomore Florida forward Alex Condon was a force on the interior with a team-high 27 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. His five offensive rebounds helped Florida to a 16-10 edge on the offensive glass and a 50-35 advantage in total rebounds.
Sears countered with 30 points, six rebounds and five assists as one of five Alabama players to score in double figures. But Alabama’s potent offense wasn’t enough to overcome a Florida team that repeatedly won battles for rebounds and loose balls.
Tennessee’s late 4-point miracle doesn’t secure win
In Oxford, Tennessee opened a 41-36 halftime lead only to find itself trailing, 74-40 with 2:36 remaining.
But the Vols tied the game at 76-76 in the final minute on a four-point play. Zakai Zeigler secured an offensive rebound of his own 3-point miss then kicked it out to Igor Milicic Jr. for a clean look at a 3-pointer.
Milicic’s shot was good, and he was fouled by Dre Davis on the follow through.
Milicic hit his free throw, and Ole Miss’ upset bid was in jeopardy.
But Jaemyn Brakefield retook the lead for Mississippi on a put-back layup off a missed 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds remaining.
Milicic had a look on the other end at a game-tying bucket, but his contested layup missed the mark as the final buzzer sounded, and Ole Miss held on for the win.
Brakefield led the upset effort with a game-high 19 points off the bench as one of four Mississippi players to score in double figures.
The win for Ole Miss was the second over a ranked team this season after it beat No. 4 Alabama in January. It further strengthens an NCAA tournament résumé that already projects the Rebels as in the field. The loss for Tennessee put its hopes for a No. 1 seed in peril.
Who will secure NCAA tournament’s final No. 1 seed?
The first three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament are virtual locks. They’ll almost certainly go to Duke, Auburn and Houston. The fourth No. 1 seed is up for grabs with a handful of SEC teams and Michigan State among the contenders.
Florida, Alabama and Tennessee all entered Wednesday’s game in contention, and Florida comes out of Wednesday in the apparent driver’s seat.
Alabama’s loss to Florida was a second straight to a fellow contender after Tennessee beat the Crimson Tide on Saturday. It will have another shot to make its case with a road game against No. 1 Auburn in Saturday’s regular-season finale ahead of the SEC tournament.
Tennessee’s win over Alabama put it in apparent control that it may have relinquished to Florida with Wednesday’s loss. The Vols close their season at home against unranked South Carolina on Saturday, while the Gators host Ole Miss.
The SEC tournament, of course, could shake things up again and open the door for a team outside of the SEC to sneak in for the last No. 1 seed.
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