Gators Outlast Wolverines in Double OT Thriller, 106-101

The Florida Gators outlasted the Michigan Wolverines in a double-overtime thriller in the Jumpman Invitational.

It was a team-wide effort for Florida on Tuesday night in Charlotte, seeing five players in double digits after 50 minutes of play to down Michigan, 106-101.

But, whenever the Gators needed a bucket in crunch time, Zyon Pullin was the one who emerged.

Accounting for 22 points, 12 after halftime, on 6-for-13 from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 from three, Pullin willed Florida to an important Quad II victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the Jumpman Invitational. 

His uber-efficient night also included five assists, six rebounds and just one turnover.

The double overtime thriller proved to be an embodiment of college basketball, a game of runs in which each team traded blows until the final buzzer. 

However, despite several chances for both squads to claim victory in the back-and-forth clash of Power Six opponents, the Gators were the ones who stood tall to earn their eighth win of the season in Charlotte with Pullin's production to thank.

Walter Clayton Jr. got the Gators on the board just 10 seconds into the contest, taking the ball to the basket and finishing off the glass immediately after crossing over the halfcourt line.

The quick start suggested that Florida's scoring presence would regather the rhythm it saw earlier in the year but has struggled to sustain of late.

However, that wasn't the case. The unit sputtered, knocking down just one of its next nine field goal attempts from the field.

The trend lasted for a significant portion of the first ten minutes of the contest. Despite the struggles, Florida's frontcourt helped keep the unit afloat against a Michigan squad — led by guard Dug McDaniel's early 11 points — shooting over 50% from the floor.

Alex Condon, Tyrese Samuel and Thomas Haugh each made an impact during their shifts at the four and five spots during that time.

Clayton connected on the team's first three-pointer of the half with 7:53 remaining, effectively taking the lid off the basket for the Gators to produce at a higher clip on the offensive end of the floor.

Starting center Micah Handlogten reeled off a quick seven points on his own to cut the one-time eight-point deficit to one with 3:32 left before the halftime break. His surge was highlighted by his fourth made three of the season in as many attempts, allowing him to remain perfect from beyond the arc while providing the welcomed spark. 

The Gators remained close with the Wolverines until the clock hit triple zeros on the first 20 minutes of play, but failed to eclipse UM until the final buzzer sounded — when Pullin drained a final heave from deep three-point range on UF's side of the floor.

Florida took a 38-37 lead into the locker room as a result.

Condon led Florida with 10 points at the break, catalyzing the difference-making unit's 24 points in the paint during the period.

When the two units returned, Michigan outpaced Florida to reclaim its lead and open it to a game-high nine points.

Pullin stepped up mightily in the closing stages of regulation as the Gators were tied with the Wolverines as the clock ticked under five minutes. With Florida needing a bucket, they deferred to Pullin to work off the dribble.

His two tightly contested buckets — a pull-up midrange jumper from the baseline and an And-1 lay-in — helped extend the lead to two possessions. 

Turnovers and inopportune fouls hurt Florida in the final stretch, allowing Michigan to tie the contest at 81 at the end of the second half after forcing a jump ball on the inbound before a tip-in finish from Nkamhoua.

Michigan's defense found vast success in the first overtime, holding Florida to just five points and two-for-nine on field goal attempts through 4:30 of the period.

However, Pullin's excellence on the evening flashed again at the perfect time with under 20 seconds remaining, connecting on a triple following an offensive rebound — one of their 21 on the night — to tie the contest at 89. 

The final overtime period was a team-wide effort — encompassing the game as a whole — as Florida outscored Michigan 17-12 with contributions from Samuel, Clayton, Pullin and Will Richard.

UF finished with 60 points in the paint and won the points off the bench battle 43-3 to overcome its sloppy 16 turnovers.

The Gators prevailed despite McDaniel's 33 points and Olivier Nkamhoua's 24 points for the Wolverines.

Todd Golden and Co. advance to 8-3 on the season after the thrilling victory in Charlotte. They'll return home on Friday to take on Grambling inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

---

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.