Three observations from sixth-seeded UF’s 69-66 loss to third-seeded Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas on Saturday night:
— It was fitting, perhaps, that the season came to an end on a KeVaughn Allen missed shot. It capped a disappointing season for the 6-foot-2 junior, who came into the season as a preseason All-SEC selection but wound up shooting 33 percent from 3-point range and averaging a shade over 11 points per game. Allen went 2 of 11 from the floor, which included missing a driving layup. He did have four assists in filling in for Chris Chiozza at point guard when Chiozza had to sit because of foul trouble, but also had four of UF’s 11 turnovers. Allen could have even more point guard responsibilities with Chiozza leaving next season and will need to avoid the kind of loud turnovers that proved costly in UF’s loss vs. Tech.
— Though rebounds were even at 39, Florida missed a few chances to secure some key defensive rebounds late, including one with 1:42 left and Texas Tech up 67-64 that allowed the Raiders to burn more clock.
— Some missed free throws for the Gators proved costly down the stretch, including a missed front end of a one-and-one by Egor Koulechov with Florida down 55-50 and 8:17 left. The Gators needed points there to stave off a Texas Tech run. Eventually, the Raiders extended their lead to 58-50 before UF battled back. Overall, UF went 10 of 15 from the line (66.7 percent) in its final game of the season.
The post Beyond the Arc: 3 takeaways from UF’s 69-66 loss to Texas Tech appeared first on GatorSports.com.