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01-07-2018, 06:18 AM
COLUMBIA, Mo. â Before the game, Chris Chiozza and his wife, Curtistine, made their way through the bleachers after making the 5 1/2-hour drive from their home in Memphis, Tenn. Stopped and greeted on the bleacher stairs, the father of Florida's standout point guard asked what he hoped to see from his son Saturday afternoon.
"Another triple-double would be nice," he said.
Indeed, it was against Missouri last season that Chris Chiozza, the UF player, amassed a rare triple-double in a blowout victory in Gainesville. That was good.
This was better.
Not even close.
With the game tied, Missouri in possession, and the final seconds ticking away, Chiozza swiped a cross-court pass near the top of the key and zipped the length of the floor for a run-out layup with .01 left on the clock that gave the Gators an astonishing 77-75 road win before a silenced and positively shellshocked Mizzou Arena home crowd that still may be wondering what the hell happened.
The improbable game-ending sequence came after Florida (11-3, 3-0), which won its fifth straight and second in a row on the Southeastern Conference road, erased a 10-point second-half deficit with 10 minutes to go, and twice trailed by five in the final three minutes before stunning the Tigers (11-4, 1-1) by scoring the game's final seven points over the last 1:10.
But those frantic, final seconds were not to be believed.
"I wasn't anywhere near the play," Chiozza said. "I just saw things sort of developing ⦠and jumped it."
Junior guard Jalen Hudson hit two free throws with 22.3 seconds remaining to tie the game at 75. Missouri brought the ball into the front court and called a timeout with 17.4 left.
"We wanted to take the last shot, whatever happens," Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin said.
Mizzou guard Kassius Robertson took the inbound pass and handed off to backcourt mate Jordan Geist, who with nine seconds to go dribbled the ball to the right side of the floor and tried to set up a one-on-one match with Robertson at the top of the key against UF forward Egor Koulechov.
Chiozza was on the opposite side of the floor, shadowing forward Jordan Barnett, who had burned UF for a career-high 28 points and nine rebounds over 39 minutes. As Geist was picking up his dribble and eyeing his pass for Robertson, Chiozza, about 10 feet away, broke on the play, batted the ball to the floor and went the length of the court uncontested â even glancing up at the clock along the way â as the crowd let out a collective groan and the Florida bench erupted in celebration.
It was a play maybe five guys in college basketball could make. Maybe.
"I had three seconds and I was already at half court, so I knew I had enough time," said Chiozza, who some may recall going the length of the floor in four seconds in a certain game of note last March. "I just wanted to slow down a bit and make sure I didn't trip or anything."
Like that was going to happen.
The end-of-game Chiozza magic doesn't happen without junior guard Jalen Hudson taking over in the final three minutes, scoring nine of 16 points in crunch time.
Hudson led five teammates into double figures with 16 points, including seven straight during UF's pivotal comeback stretch inside the final three minutes to forge the late tie. Koulechov, the grad transfer, had 15 points and eight rebounds, with Chiozza pitching in 13 points, all in the second half, plus six assists and that one single, solitary steal of significance. Sophomore forward Keith Stone had 13 points and six rebounds, while junior center Kevarrius Hayes had a second straight stud line of 10 points, five rebounds and four steals.
"It took everybody who played to win this game," Hudson said. "Everyone contributed."
The Tigers, with Barnett going for 15 in the first half, lived up to their billing as one of the SEC's best 3-point shooting team. Such wasn't the case, however, for the Gators, who were coming off one of their finest offensive performances of the season in the win at Texas A&M. Missouri showed up hot, jumping to a 12-point lead barely nine minutes in, but Florida chipped away, mostly behind Koulechov and Hudson, to lead 36-35 at the break.
Again, Missouri was hot to start a half, on its way to making 50 percent from both the floor (11-for-22) and arc (5-for-10), but did not sink a 3-ball over the final 11-plus minutes, a testament to the defense it faced. UF, meanwhile, shot 48 percent in the second half, made just a trio of 3-balls, yet came up with the stops and scores (mostly on 2s or from the free-throw line) when things mattered most.
"We are getting tougher," Florida coach Mike White said. "We showed poise, we showed resiliency, we showed maturity. Even when Missouri made some late-clock daggers, we stuck together and stayed the course."
The Gators trailed by three when Koulechov's 3-point attempt at the two-minute mark came up short. The Tigers ran clock and worked for a layup in the post from fab freshman forward Jontay Porter (9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal) with 1:30 to play, the bucket going down as the shot-clock buzzed. Five-point lead.
At the other end, Hudson took his man to the hole, threw in a left-handed layup, got fouled and made the free throw to make it a two-point game, 75-73, with 1:11 left. The Gators followed that big offensive possession with a gutty one on defense, forcing a shot-clock violation with 40.7 remaining. At UF's end, Hudson went for the kill shot, a 3-pointer, that didn't go, but Robertson was called for fouling Hudson in the act.
Hudson made the first and third free throws, tying the game with 22.3 left, as the teams went to their benches for a timeout.
In the huddle White emphasized post defense, not fouling, not over-helping in the paint. He told his players to do their best, but make the Tigers earn what they got, preferably a contested jump shot, preferably a tough 2. He repeated: Don't foul and put them at the line for a cheap one.
None of those things happened.
Chris Chiozza, the young one, happened.
Chris Chiozza is doused with water in the post-game locker room celebration.
"Not how we drew it up," White said. "But that's the luxury having a terrific point guard."
Add this one to his list of terrific moments.
Way better than that triple-double, also.
http://floridagators.com/news/2018/1/6/c...izzou.aspx
"Another triple-double would be nice," he said.
Indeed, it was against Missouri last season that Chris Chiozza, the UF player, amassed a rare triple-double in a blowout victory in Gainesville. That was good.
This was better.
Not even close.
With the game tied, Missouri in possession, and the final seconds ticking away, Chiozza swiped a cross-court pass near the top of the key and zipped the length of the floor for a run-out layup with .01 left on the clock that gave the Gators an astonishing 77-75 road win before a silenced and positively shellshocked Mizzou Arena home crowd that still may be wondering what the hell happened.
The improbable game-ending sequence came after Florida (11-3, 3-0), which won its fifth straight and second in a row on the Southeastern Conference road, erased a 10-point second-half deficit with 10 minutes to go, and twice trailed by five in the final three minutes before stunning the Tigers (11-4, 1-1) by scoring the game's final seven points over the last 1:10.
But those frantic, final seconds were not to be believed.
"I wasn't anywhere near the play," Chiozza said. "I just saw things sort of developing ⦠and jumped it."
Junior guard Jalen Hudson hit two free throws with 22.3 seconds remaining to tie the game at 75. Missouri brought the ball into the front court and called a timeout with 17.4 left.
"We wanted to take the last shot, whatever happens," Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin said.
Mizzou guard Kassius Robertson took the inbound pass and handed off to backcourt mate Jordan Geist, who with nine seconds to go dribbled the ball to the right side of the floor and tried to set up a one-on-one match with Robertson at the top of the key against UF forward Egor Koulechov.
Chiozza was on the opposite side of the floor, shadowing forward Jordan Barnett, who had burned UF for a career-high 28 points and nine rebounds over 39 minutes. As Geist was picking up his dribble and eyeing his pass for Robertson, Chiozza, about 10 feet away, broke on the play, batted the ball to the floor and went the length of the court uncontested â even glancing up at the clock along the way â as the crowd let out a collective groan and the Florida bench erupted in celebration.
It was a play maybe five guys in college basketball could make. Maybe.
"I had three seconds and I was already at half court, so I knew I had enough time," said Chiozza, who some may recall going the length of the floor in four seconds in a certain game of note last March. "I just wanted to slow down a bit and make sure I didn't trip or anything."
Like that was going to happen.
The end-of-game Chiozza magic doesn't happen without junior guard Jalen Hudson taking over in the final three minutes, scoring nine of 16 points in crunch time.
Hudson led five teammates into double figures with 16 points, including seven straight during UF's pivotal comeback stretch inside the final three minutes to forge the late tie. Koulechov, the grad transfer, had 15 points and eight rebounds, with Chiozza pitching in 13 points, all in the second half, plus six assists and that one single, solitary steal of significance. Sophomore forward Keith Stone had 13 points and six rebounds, while junior center Kevarrius Hayes had a second straight stud line of 10 points, five rebounds and four steals.
"It took everybody who played to win this game," Hudson said. "Everyone contributed."
The Tigers, with Barnett going for 15 in the first half, lived up to their billing as one of the SEC's best 3-point shooting team. Such wasn't the case, however, for the Gators, who were coming off one of their finest offensive performances of the season in the win at Texas A&M. Missouri showed up hot, jumping to a 12-point lead barely nine minutes in, but Florida chipped away, mostly behind Koulechov and Hudson, to lead 36-35 at the break.
Again, Missouri was hot to start a half, on its way to making 50 percent from both the floor (11-for-22) and arc (5-for-10), but did not sink a 3-ball over the final 11-plus minutes, a testament to the defense it faced. UF, meanwhile, shot 48 percent in the second half, made just a trio of 3-balls, yet came up with the stops and scores (mostly on 2s or from the free-throw line) when things mattered most.
"We are getting tougher," Florida coach Mike White said. "We showed poise, we showed resiliency, we showed maturity. Even when Missouri made some late-clock daggers, we stuck together and stayed the course."
The Gators trailed by three when Koulechov's 3-point attempt at the two-minute mark came up short. The Tigers ran clock and worked for a layup in the post from fab freshman forward Jontay Porter (9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal) with 1:30 to play, the bucket going down as the shot-clock buzzed. Five-point lead.
At the other end, Hudson took his man to the hole, threw in a left-handed layup, got fouled and made the free throw to make it a two-point game, 75-73, with 1:11 left. The Gators followed that big offensive possession with a gutty one on defense, forcing a shot-clock violation with 40.7 remaining. At UF's end, Hudson went for the kill shot, a 3-pointer, that didn't go, but Robertson was called for fouling Hudson in the act.
Hudson made the first and third free throws, tying the game with 22.3 left, as the teams went to their benches for a timeout.
In the huddle White emphasized post defense, not fouling, not over-helping in the paint. He told his players to do their best, but make the Tigers earn what they got, preferably a contested jump shot, preferably a tough 2. He repeated: Don't foul and put them at the line for a cheap one.
None of those things happened.
Chris Chiozza, the young one, happened.
Chris Chiozza is doused with water in the post-game locker room celebration.
"Not how we drew it up," White said. "But that's the luxury having a terrific point guard."
Add this one to his list of terrific moments.
Way better than that triple-double, also.
http://floridagators.com/news/2018/1/6/c...izzou.aspx
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