We will need five more minutes to decide whether Butler or Florida reaches the Final Four. The two teams are tied at 60 at the end of regulation, and this Elite Eight matchup will head to overtime.
Butler Vs. Florida Heading To Overtime In Elite Eight Showdown
Butler looked like it had nothing going on its game-tying possession, but after two timeouts, Matt Howard somehow found his way into the lane and drew a foul with 30.7 seconds left. Howard made the first, but missed the second. The Gators ran the clock down, making sure they did not give Butler another shot. But Erving Walker couldn’t get a great look, missing a three-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime.
Vernon Macklin had been quiet for a while, but not at the end of the game. He broke a 57-all tie with a free throw, then drove from the corner to the basket and powered in a layup over Andrew Smith to give Florida a 60-57 win. The basket gave Macklin a career-high 24 points for the game. But coach Billy Donovan decided to take Macklin out of the game because he was concerned Butler would foul Macklin and put the 44-percent free-throw shooter on the line.
Shelvin Mack hit two free throws to cut the lead back down to 60-59 with 1:20 remaining, and the Gators couldn't get anything going on its possession.
More 2011 March Madness resources: Visit our NCAA Tournament hub for up-to-date news and information ... updated printable NCAA 2011 Tournament bracket ... the full NCAA Tournament schedule.
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