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Gamecocks Top UF With Buzzer-Beater

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Florida's Erving Walker (11) drives against the defense of South Carolina's Devan Downey during the first half Wednesday night.

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By MIKE DiFERDINANDO Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 22, 2009

Updated: 01/22/2009 01:22 am

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Trailing by a point with 3.3 seconds left on the clock, South Carolina's Zam Fredrickson took a home run pass from Mike Holmes the length of the court and broke Florida's heart.

Fredrickson laid the ball off the glass as the buzzer sounded to down Florida 70-69 Wednesday night at the Colonial Life Arena.

"I told Zam to go long," Holmes said.

Florida (16-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end.

"It's something you're not going to forget," Walter Hodge said. "We have to keep our heads up. Tomorrow's a new day."

Moments before, Chandler Parsons (14 points) stood on the foul line shooting the 1 and 1 with a chance to ice the game for the Gators.

But the sophomore's first shot came off the front of the rim and fell right into the arms of Holmes.

"I thought we were matched up well," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "It was just a great play."

Fredrickson (15 points) slipped behind Dan Werner in the game's final seconds to send the Gamecocks (13-4, 2-2 SEC) to their biggest win of the season.

All Werner could do is watch as the Gators' perfect start to conference play slipped away.

After the game, Nick Calathes (21 points) stood outside the Florida locker room, disappointment replacing the smile he had worn only minutes earlier.

"It's not happy in there," Calathes said gesturing to the door that his teammates were behind. "It's not fun."

Florida turned the ball over 18 times to allow the Gamecocks to hang around.

Trailing by seven with 2:27 to play, South Carolina's Devan Downey scored seven of his team-high 20 points to cut the Florida lead to 69-67 with 27 seconds left.

"They made bigger plays at the end," Calathes said.

"You really find out how much you care when you go through something like this," Donovan said. "Hopefully this can make us stronger."

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