Florida Beats Alabama, 90-80, Snapping Tide’s 12-Game Streak

When Norm Sloan asked for a few good men, Joe Lawrence and Melven Jones stepped forward.

Lawrence scored 6 of his 18 points on three-point shots in overtime, and Jones grabbed 17 rebounds as No. 19 Florida ended ninth-ranked Alabama’s 12-game winning streak with an 90-80 overtime victory in a Southeast Conference game Wednesday night at Gainesville, Fla.

“Before the game, I said we needed to have a couple individuals to take charge,” said Sloan, coach of the Gators. “Melven Jones and Joe Lawrence did that tonight. Joe’s three-pointers in overtime seemed to seal it for us.

“Our team could have been down and disappointed when Alabama caught up like the did in the closing minutes, but they didn’t.”

Lawrence’s heroics were made necessary by a second-half charge that saw Alabama (15-3 overall, 8-1 in the SEC) erase a 14-point deficit and tie the game, 74-74 at the end of regulation.

Lawrence’s two long jumpers in the first 1:30 of overtime gave the Gators (16-4, 8-1) an 80-74 lead. Florida made 8 of 11 free throws to hold off the Crimson Tide.

“I thought we had good pressure on them, but they jacked up a couple of shots just this side of Jupiter and they went in,” Alabama Coach Wimp Sanderson said.

Florida guard Andrew Moten scored 25 points, Lawrence added 18 and Dwayne Schintzius had 15. Jones scored only nine points, making just 2 of 11 shots, but the 6-5 forward dominated the inside.

Derrick McKey had 27 points and 10 rebounds for Alabama, Jim Farmer added 20 points and Terry Coner had 17.