In terms of sheer excitement, this game deserved a much better ending. Georgia and Florida went blow for blow in a game that couldn't be decided in regulation, needing not one but two overtime periods to decide a winner. Georgia erased an eight-point Florida lead in the final 3 minutes of regulation. With the Bulldogs trailing by two 73-71, Dustin Ware drove to the basket and lofted a shot that Trey Thompkins put back up and in at the buzzer sending the game into overtime.
During the first overtime, Georgia and Florida exchanged the lead eight different times in the back and forth affair. Neither team had more than a one point advantage until Georgia's Jeremy Price hit two free throws with 6.7 second remaining. At that point in time it looked like the Bulldogs were going to escape with a much needed home victory. Of course that is when Erving Walker happened. The speedy Florida guard got a free release on the inbounds pass and raced up the floor pulling up several feet behind the three point line and buried the game tying shot. It appeared that Mark Fox wanted Georgia to foul before Walker could take the shot but he got such a clean release from every Georgia defender that no one was close enough to pick it up. With one second remaining, Georgia was unable to get off a shot and the game headed into a second overtime.
Walker's shot appeared to suck the life out of Georgia as the Gators took command in the second overtime outscoring the Bulldogs 19-6 the rest of the way. Florida scored the first nine points of the period and never looked back. Chandler Parsons scored nine of his 18 points in the second overtime helping Florida close out the Bulldogs by a final of 104-91.
Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton led Florida with 24 points apiece. Vernon Macklin scored 23 points while grabbing nine rebounds. Chandler Parsons had 18 points and a team high 12 rebounds for the Gators.
Georgia was led by Travis Leslie and his 21 points. Trey Thompkins recorded a double double scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Jeremy Price had 16 points and seven rebounds while Dustin Ware chipped in 10 points before fouling out in the first overtime.
Free throws were the major difference in this game as Florida was 26-36 from the charity stripe. Conversely Georgia was 16-24. The Gators attempted 17 of those freebies in the first half as a raucous and packed out Stegeman Coliseum crowd voiced its displeasure with the officiating on more than one occasion in this game.
The loss drops Georgia to 14-5 and 3-3 in the SEC. The going doesn't get any easier as they will travel to Rupp Arena on Saturday to take on a Kentucky club that will be looking for revenge for an earlier loss in Athens.