Florida Suffers Another Early Exit

They started to flow from his eyes before the game had ended, those familiar emotions returning for Florida guard Matt Walsh.

This year was supposed to be different, he said. It was supposed to last longer.

But as Villanova finished the Gators’ season with a 76-65 victory Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Walsh’s face said it all.

“We’re going home,” Walsh said, his eyes still swollen red. “It’s unfortunate, but we’re going home.”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? For the fifth consecutive season, Florida’s trip to the NCAA tournament was over before the first weekend had ended.

“Plain and simple, we just got dominated,” center Adrian Moss said.

“No sugar coating. I’m going to give it to you raw with no chaser: We just got dominated. They kicked our butts in every facet of the game.”

The Gators’ second-round loss Sunday ended a year highlighted by the school’s first Southeastern Conference championship. It also ended an eight-game winning streak, one that was accumulated by accurate shooting and overwhelming defense.

Florida (24-8) looked far from that same team Sunday.

Florida’s shooting was especially bad. Two days after Walsh and guard Anthony Roberson combined to make six of 28 shots in a first-round victory over Ohio, the pair promised better Sunday.

It never happened. Instead, Roberson, the SEC’s leading scorer, made only one of eight attempts and Walsh made four of 13.

Meanwhile, Jason Fraser stood out for Villanova (24-7), finishing with 21 points and 15 rebounds after replacing Curtis Sumpter, who left in the first half because of a knee injury.