Gators use 10 treys to bury Buckeyes in title game

ATLANTA -- Some 3-pointers are worth more than others.

Florida specializes in those 3s, the ones that not only put three points on the scoreboard but steal momentum from an opponent.

The Gators hit 10 3-pointers Monday night in the 84-75 victory over Ohio State that sealed their place in college basketball history as the first repeat champion in 15 years.

Not all were the backbreakers from beyond the arc, but enough were.

The Buckeyes had two problems: They couldn't stop Florida from making 3s and they couldn't make any themselves. They kept missing and missing and missing.

Lee Humphrey, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green -- Florida's trio of 3-makers -- started hitting early against Ohio State and didn't stop, finishing 10-for-18. They combined for 43 points with Green getting 16, Humphrey 14 and Brewer 13.

"I think it was just taking what the defense was giving us," Green said. "Coach always tells us once you have a crack, let it go, shoot the ball with confidence. When they made runs, I think we did a good job of just coming back and knocking down 3s."

They'd done this before in this NCAA Tournament, starting with the regional final win over Oregon after many had questioned Florida's ability to put away opponents early in the first three rounds.

On Monday night, Brewer, just a 33 percent 3-point shooter, hit the first of the big ones.

Greg Oden, Ohio State's 7-foot freshman, pinned a shot by Brewer against the backboard and the crowd at the Georgia Dome reacted heartily for the first time. Ohio State's Jamar Butler missed a 3 at the other end and Brewer came right back down and hit a 3, giving a little skip as he passed the Buckeyes' bench and extended the Gators' lead to 20-13 halfway through the first half.

Then it was all three of the Gators' shooters hitting big shots.

Ivan Harris hit Ohio State's second and last 3 of the first half with 5:37 to go to bring the Buckeyes within 24-22 and again bring the fans to life.

Humphrey, the most prolific 3-point shooter in NCAA Tournament history, hit one 16 seconds later. Brewer nailed another with 4:28 left after Al Horford grabbed an offensive rebound. Green capped the 9-0 run with 3:48 left and Florida had a 33-22 lead.