No. 8 Arizona Defeats No. 5 Florida with Last-Second Winner
By on December 15, 2012
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
McKale Center; Tucson, Arizona
Arizona 65, Florida 64
Mark Lyons played the role of hero for the Arizona Wildcats basketball team just hours after the Arizona football team pulled off a miraculous comeback in the New Mexico Bowl.
Lyons scored on a fast break after Florida's Kenny Boynton missed a free throw.
Boynton was silenced all night as he shot two of 10 from the field with just five points.
Mike Rosario was the best player on the court for Florida with 16 points.
Lyons' three-pointer with 4:56 left in the game sparked a 7-3 run to end the game for the Wildcats, who move to 8-0 with the win.
Florida (7-1) will most likely drop out of the top 10 on Monday while Arizona could find a way into the top five when the AP rankings are released.
What a finish in Tucson tonight.
Arizona barely led for most of the game and at the end a missed free throw by Florida's Kenny Boynton was the demise of the Gators.
Mark Lyons stepped up at the end of the game for the Wildcats and made the game-winning layup.
Arizona moves to 8-0 and Florida drops to 7-1. Could have been either team on top, but the Wildcats hold the home court. BEAR DOWN
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) December 16, 2012
Collapse, choke, call it what you will. #Gators just gave that game away with turnovers and awful discipline.
— OnlyGators.com (@onlygators) December 16, 2012
Final in McKale: No. 8 Cats 65, No. 5 Gators 64. WOW. WOW. Good physical, 40-minute battle. UA pulls one out with 10-3 run in last 5 mins.
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) December 16, 2012
Arizona/Florida was a wild game. Such a great comeback
— evan turner (@thekidet) December 16, 2012
Arizona 65, Florida 64 FINAL!!!!
After Boynton misses his first free throw, the Wildcats go down the court and score.
Lyons hits the game-winning shot for Arizona!!!
64-63 with 21.5 to play -- and another inbound coming.#UFvsAZ
— Chris Harry (@GatorZoneChris) December 16, 2012
Florida 64, Arizona 62; 0:39 Left in Second Half
Solomon Hill with a layup, followed by a Florida turnover.
Wildcats going to the line after foul on Wilbekin.
Jerrett will be the shooter for Arizona.
Florida 64, Arizona 60; 0:55 Left in Second Half
Mike Rosario throws the in-bounds pass out of bounds, Arizona ball.
Florida 64, Arizona 60; 0:55 Left in Second Half
Kevin Parrom makes both free throws.
Arizona has to foul now, Florida will go to the free-throw line after every foul now.
Florida 64, Arizona 58; 1:01 Left in Second Half
Out of the timeout, Lyons takes a long three-pointer and misses.
Johnson gets a steal off of the in-bound pass and Parrom goes to the line after being fouled by Patric Young.
Timeout Arizona, down 64-58 with 1:17 to go.#UFvsAZ
— Chris Harry (@GatorZoneChris) December 16, 2012
Florida 64, Arizona 58; 2:00 Left in Second Half
What a horrible time for Arizona to miss their first two free throws.
Nick Johnson misses both of his shots from the free throw line.
Florida 64, Arizona 58; 2:32 Left in Second Half
He may have a broken finger on his shooting hand, but Scottie Wilbekin can still drain a three-pointer when the Gators need him to.
Under-4 TO (3:50): Florida 61, Arizona 58. Wildcats have climbed back w/3s (7-17). UF now w/11 TOs to Az 10.#UFvsAZ
— Chris Harry (@GatorZoneChris) December 16, 2012
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Florida 61, Arizona 58; 3:50 Left in Second Half
At the final TV timeout, Florida are up by three points but are barely hanging on to their lead.
Wilbekin and Murphy have turned the ball over on the past two Florida possessions.
The momentum is on the side of Arizona, but can they take advantage of it in the final four minutes?
7-footer Tarczewski fouls out. Note: He has five of Wildcats 8 fouls in the game.#UFvsAZ
— Chris Harry (@GatorZoneChris) December 16, 2012
Florida 61, Arizona 58; 4:45 Left in Second Half
Mark Lyons is the latest Wildcat to drain a three-point shot.
Three-pointers and free throws have given the Wildcats a fighting chance as the game dwindles down.
Florida 59, Arizona 55; 5:27 Left in Second Half
Tarczewski is gone.
It only took 30 seconds of the freshman being out on the floor for him to foul out.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Florida 59, Arizona 55; 5:57 Left in Second Half
It is not Lyons or Hill who makes the big shot for the Wildcats.
This time it is Nick Johnson who drains a three-pointer to cut the lead to four.
Tarczewski is back on the court for Arizona.
Florida 57, Arizona 52; 7:10 Left in Second Half
The Wildcats have just two turnovers in the second half.
If they want to come back and win this game, Lyons and Hill will have to step up and make some crucial shots.
Boynton with his most timely 3 of the season.
— Chris Harry (@GatorZoneChris) December 16, 2012
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Florida 57, Arizona 52; 7:37 Left in Second Half
Finally, Boynton makes a shot to give the Gators a seven point lead.
On the opposite end of the court, Hill scores for the Wildcats and cuts the lead to five points at the under-eight TV timeout.
This game will come down to the wire and you have to wonder when Sean Miller will put Tarczewski back in the game.
Seems like UF made a dozen treys. Just 8. Each one an end-of-clock dagger. 54-48 with nine minutes left. Cats showing spunk, is it enough?
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) December 16, 2012
Florida 54, Arizona 48; 9:03 Left in Second Half
Once again, the Wildcats battle back.
Kevin Parrom with a three-point play followed by a steal by Hill, which leads to a Nick Johnson layup.
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