A couple of quotes in here highlight how I felt about this game.
First, I believe that Walker wants to be the hero and often ignores
the caliber of our front line. With an opponent afraid to foul, drive
and dish to one of our bigs at the end of the game.
That said, we won the game fair and square and should never have been
in that position. The only reason that we were is because the refs
felt sorry for the slow white kids when we were up by 11 and started
calling the game one-sided to avoid embarrassing Butler.
Right around the time when Tyus swooped in for two dunks in a row and
Parsons almost did, watch the replay for uncalled fouls. Look how
hacked all three of them were. There was a reason out short shots
rimmed out - we were getting clobbered and no fouls were being
called. I saw Tyus clothes-lined across the chest and Parsons punched
in the stomach. This probably turns into a rout if called correctly -
even with Butler's lucky breaks.
Once the refs let Butler back in the game, the calls were closer to
even again. However, that never should have happened, and Butler
should never (would never) have been in a chance to win if this game
had been called evenly.
-Zeb
On Mar 28, 2011, at 10:54 AM, Shane Ford wrote:
NEW ORLEANS — Alex Tyus was steaming.
He gave short, clipped answers to questions. Before he appeared at
the podium, it was announced he wasn't going to be there. He stared
into the distance with a clenched jaw.
“Our players really weren't looking for us,” Tyus said.
He was referring to the end-game drama. Both times. In regulation,
Erving Walker missed a 3 that would have sent Florida to the Final
Four. In overtime, Walker and Kenny Boynton both missed late 3s
that doomed the Gators.
Florida had dominated inside offensively. Why didn't they do it
with the game on the line?
“I would have liked to see Kenny drive the ball,” said Billy
Donovan. “But he has made some shots that put us in this position.”
So has Walker. But on Saturday, he was 1-of-10 and didn't make a
shot in regulation. It was just that kind of game.
“I wish we had played more to our character,” Donovan said. “You
get in these close games, and it's all so fragile.”
So fragile. Because this Gator team could get no breaks Saturday.
The free throw miss that was tipped in with Tyus' help, the banked
3-pointer, the free throw that looked like it missed but went high
in the air and swished through the net, the officials taking over
the game with phantom calls after Florida built an 11-point lead,
the blocked 3-point attempts that floated into the hands of the
Bulldogs.
Nothing went right. And still they were right there with one shot
to go to Houston.
--
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