Florida Gators Fend Off Vanderbilt to Earn Vital Victory in Nashville, 82-78

With the clock winding down with under a minute remaining, the Florida Gators began to see their chances at the postseason flash before their eyes. Trailing on the road by five to the Commodores, the Gators began their comeback attempts with a 9-0 run in the final 31 seconds.

That spurt was catalyzed by a familiar face who has been a hero for Florida basketball as of late.

"Phlandrous Fleming may have just saved their season," said SEC Network play-by-play commentator Dave Neal as the clock struck zero in Nashville.

For the second contest in a row, following a 27-point outing in his hometown against Georgia, transfer guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr. shined in a monumental road win for the Gators to keep their dream of tournament contention alive. The Florida Gators earned a vital 82-78 victory on the road Tuesday night, thanks to a huge block and triple from Fleming Jr. down the stretch of the contest.

Fleming reflected on the blocked shot that changed the game's complexion, saying he's values that effort over the clutch three he made to give the Gators the lead. In his words, he strives to be "a defender first."

"That's how Phlanny plays," head coach Mike White said postgame. "He leaves it on the floor."

Capturing lightning in a bottle in the final minute, Florida's two-way efforts, led by Fleming, catapulted the Gators to crucial quadrant one victory on the road.

Florida was led by senior center Colin Castleton throughout the night in multiple facets. Proving to be a dominant scorer and rebounder against a relatively undersized Vanderbilt team, Castleton earned 19 points and eight rebounds.

However, his biggest contribution came on Fleming's game-winning three-pointer in the final six seconds.

Operating at the offense's focal point as he had all season on Tuesday, Castelton was the player the Gators looked to feed the ball to with the game on the line. However, commanding two Vanderbilt defenders onto him, the ever-evolving big man identified the open man on the wing nearest to the Florida bench, following Tyree Appleby's dish to him near the elbow. After receiving the entry pass, he kicked it out quickly to give Fleming an open look to take the lead.

His efforts paid off as the Athens (Ga.) native progressed through his shooting stroke and calmly knocked it down.

Castleton's contribution was duly noted by Fleming postgame.

"It was Colin's unselfishness," he said. "Everybody in the gym knew where we was going with the ball. They doubled him, and he threw it right out to me. He trusted me with the ball, and I made the shot, man. It was all Colin."

Playing for their postseason lives in the final few games, the Gators entered Memorial Gymnasium in must-win mode against Scottie Pippen Jr. and the Commodores.

Despite the ability of Jerry Stackhouse's unit to keep it close down the stretch, namely due to their consistent shooting from beyond the arc, nailing 15 of 29 attempts from deep, Florida stayed the course to fend off Vandy from playing spoiler on their season.

Tyree Appleby and Myreon Jones supplemented Castleton and Fleming to steal one on the road, earning 12 and 13 respectively to meet the measuring stick of success for the Gators this season: four scorers in double digits.

"You're always talking about trying to steal one on the road," White said. "We really stole this one. I thought Vanderbilt was fantastic."

Florida was able to fend off a masterclass effort from the SEC's leading scorer in Pippen, who retaliated from his dud performance of five points in the earlier meeting between the two programs this season with a 29-point performance, to improve to 19-11 (9-8 SEC) on the year.

The Gators will return home for their season finale on Saturday, where they attempt to avenge a 21-point loss on the road to No. 7 Kentucky to earn a March Madness berth.

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