MINNEAPOLIS -- Blame it on Corey Brewer.
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| Corey Brewer only has nine points, but the last three are huge. (Getty Images) |
But, no, Corey Brewer had to spoil the party.
It was Brewer's improbable three-point play with 27.5 seconds left that clinched Florida's 57-53 victory and sent the Gators -- not the Hoyas -- into Sunday's regional championship game, ruining all those John Thompson nostalgia stories.
"Sometimes," said winning coach Billy Donovan, "it's crazy what these games come down to."
There is no better example than what happened here.
Rewind the videotape to the last 35 seconds of play, and you find Florida trailing by one and in possession of the basketball. Suddenly, the Gators have 6-11 forward Joakim Noah perfectly set up for an inside bucket that seems a sure thing. But he misses, setting up a wild scramble for a rebound that Florida gains.
From the sidelines, Donovan considers taking a timeout. But he does nothing, and play goes on.
Or more correctly, Brewer goes off. Clutching a ball tipped to him by teammate Al Horford, he drives the right side of the lane and is double-teamed -- with Georgetown's Brandon Bowman reaching for the basketball and grabbing Brewer's arm instead. Brewer swings violently to gain control, and as he spins toward the basket he forces up a desperate two-handed shot.
It goes in.
Now the best part: Officials rule that Brewer is fouled, which he was, and that the basket counts. Once he sinks the ensuing free throw Florida has a lead it will never lose. Game. Set. Match.
"I really didn't see the guy behind me," said Brewer, "but I did feel the guy grab my arm. I tried to spin. And when I spun I just threw it up, and it went in."
Noah later thanked Brewer for "saving my butt," saying he should have hit the previous shot to win the game. Had Brewer not acted, Noah might've had to carry that failure with him into next season. Instead, the two are one win from the Final Four.
