Texas A&M
21-11,9-9SEC
Florida
19-13,9-9SEC
Diarra's Late 3-Pointer Lifts Aggies Over Gators in Overtime, 83-80
Mar 10, 2022 | Men's Basketball
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Hassan Diarra drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 0.4 seconds left in overtime to give Texas A&M an 83-80 win over Florida in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday.
After finding his driving lane cut off, Tyrece Radford passed the ball out to Diarra, who took one dribble to his left before his shot rattled through the rim. Diarra was a 17.9% 3-pointer shooter during the SEC season.
''Coach called a play, he drew up a play and he told `Boots' they were going to tag off me and I would be open,'' Diarra said. ''I was thinking if I shoot the ball I know it was going to go in. I got the ball, took one dribble and shot it. It went in. Thank God for it.''
That capped a wild finish that saw ninth-seeded Florida lead a total of 39 seconds, all in overtime, after closing regulation with a 21-8 run over the last five minutes.
Henry Coleman III had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead the Aggies (21-11) to their fifth-straight win. Diarra and Quenton Jackson added 14 points each, Radford had 13 and Wade Taylor IV 10.
The eighth-seeded Aggies advance to play top-seeded and fourth-ranked Auburn in the quarterfinals on Friday.
HASSAN. DIARRA.@hassan_diarra11 pic.twitter.com/nAIyLCCS3L
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) March 10, 2022
Kowacie Reeves scored 21 points and Niels Lane 16, career highs for both reserves, to spark the Gators (19-13). Phlandrous Fleming Jr., added 17 points and Colin Castleton 15.
Diarra's long 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer with 5:41 to play gave the Aggies a 62-49 lead but they wouldn't make another basket, missing just twice because they had four turnovers and went 8 of 9 from the line. Diarra, who was 3 of 4 from distance, was 7 of 39 in 18 SEC games this season.
Reeves was f ouled on a 3-pointer from the right wing with 36.6 seconds to go, and his four-point play made it 68-67. After two free throws by Taylor, Reeves hit a c ontested 3 from the left corner with 17.5 to tie it at 70.
Radford's contested floater in the lane bounced off the rim as time expired in regulation.
Reeves opened the scoring in overtime with a three-point play but Radford quickly responded with a 3. It wasn't until Fleming had a three-point play, f ollowed by a difficult stepback jumper from the foul line with 48.6 seconds to go, that the Gators led again 80-78.
Florida forced a miss on the Aggies' possession but deflected the rebound out of bounds. On the inbounds pass, Fleming and Radford collided with the ball going out of bounds to the Gators. On review, Fleming was called for a foul and Radford tied the game with 38.4 to go.
Fleming tried a step-back 3 from the top of the key but the ball stuck on the rim and the Aggies had possession with 17.7 to play.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?!?!#GigEm pic.twitter.com/VL8Y3iFz1b
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) March 10, 2022
Texas A&M Men's Basketball Postgame Notes
Texas A&M 83, Florida 80
Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
- Texas A&M knocked off Florida, 83-80, in overtime in the second round of play at the SEC Tournament.
- The win was the first at the SEC Tournament for the Aggies since defeating Vanderbilt in the first round in 2019.
- A&M is 2-0 against Florida at the SEC Tournament.
TEAM NOTES
- The Aggie defense, who entered the game as the nation's fourth-best team in steals per game, registered 15, the most against a conference foe and the second-most this season (Dallas Christian).
- Texas A&M hit 26 free throws, the most in a conference tournament game since making 26 against Missouri on March 10, 2011.
- A&M made nine 3-pointers, the most in a game this season since hitting nine at then-No. 19 LSU on Jan. 26.
- The Aggies used the starting lineup of Henry Coleman III, Quenton Jackson, Manny Obaseki, Tyrece Radford and Wade Taylor IV for the fifth time this season (5-0).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Hassan Diarra scored 14 points off the bench, the most against an SEC opponent this season, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining. The Queens, New York, native buried three 3-pointers, all three of his free throw attempts and added three steals and three assists.
- Henry Coleman III recorded a game-high 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and was 8-of-11 from the charity stripe. It was his third game of the season with at least 20 points. He hauled in a team-high eight rebounds and set a new career-high in steals with five. The Richmond, Virginia, native played in a career-high 41 minutes.
- Quenton Jackson scored in double figures for the 14th-coonsecutive game as he registered 14 points to go along with three assists and a trio of steals.
- Tyrece Radford tallied 13 points and a season-high four assists. It marked the sixth-straight game Boots has scored in double figures.
- Wade Taylor IV added 10 points, marking his 12th game in double figures this season.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M squares off against top-seeded Auburn at 11 a.m. on ESPN on Friday.
