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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. -- After 17 years without winning a game in the NCAA tournament, the No. 17 BYU men's basketball team (30-5, 13-3 MWC) finally got it done in dramatic fashion, defeating Florida (21-12) in double overtime 99-92.
BYU star Jimmer Fredette scored 37 points to lead the Cougars, but it was guard Mike Loyd Jr. who stole the show, hitting clutch free throws late in the first overtime to keep his team in the game. Loyd scored a career high 26 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and once again shined for the Cougars.
"There are times that teams game plan for Jimmer, and you need a Michael Loyd with the skills he has to dribble, to penetrate, to make little floaters and to hit shots," BYU Head Coach Dave Rose said in a postgame news conference. "We got Mike in there, and he was unbelievable. He played on attack."
Coach Rose continued to pour the praise on Loyd, specifically about his defensive efforts.
Florida Head Coach Billy Donovan said the style of basketball BYU plays caused his team problems.
"That is by far the most physical game we played all year," Donovan said.
The seventh seeded Cougars led by 13 points late in the second half, but the lead quickly turned into a deficit after some hot 3-point shooting by Florida's Kenny Boynton. The Cougars got behind by as much as four points with 3:58 remaining in the game before a late Jackson Emery 3-pointer and a Fredette driving layup with 26 seconds remaining tied the game.
The 10th seeded Gators had a chance to win in the final seconds of regulation, but Florida guard Chandler Parsons missed a 12-foot jumper just as time expired. Parsons said after the game that he felt he took the right shot, but it just didn't go down.
"It felt really good. I thought it was going to go down," Parsons said in the postgame presser. "I'd like to have the shot again."
Fredette said before the game he asked Parsons, who had hit a few game-winning shots during the season, not to hit any game winning shots.
In the first overtime, Florida jumped out to a four-point lead, but the Cougars fought back to tie the score despite connecting on only one field goal during the five minute period.
Florida once again had a chance to win as time expired in the first overtime, but was unable to convert. In the meantime, the Gators' two high scorers in the game fouled out, leaving Donovan's team without many scoring options in the second overtime.
BYU took control after a pair of 3-point daggers from Fredette, who came back to life after struggling during the first overtime.
"We did have some chances," Donovan said after the game. "They capitalized and were able to make some shots in key situations to keep themselves hanging around."
Fredette said it was good to get rid of the pressure of winning a first round game.
"It's a great feeling," Fredette said. We knew that at some point we're going to win it, and we felt like this could be the year. It was our time. We were able to go out and play well and give it all we had and come out with a win."
The Cougars will face Kansas State (27-7) Saturday at approximately 6:10 p.m. (30 minutes after the Kansas/Northern Iowa game). The second seeded Wildcats defeated the 15th seeded North Texas 82-62 Thursday afternoon.
