NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Mississippi seniors Jason Flanigan and
Rahim Lockhart didn't want a repeat of last season's last-place
finish in the Southeastern Conference's western division.
|  | | Mississippi forward Rahim Lockhart, left, stuffs Florida's Udonis Haslem in the first half. |
With the addition of freshmen Justin Reed and Aaron Harper, this
year's been different.
Reed scored 15 points and Flanigan made three free throws down
the stretch Saturday to help Mississippi (No. 11 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) upset Florida (No. 6 ESPN/USA Today, No. 5 AP) 74-69 in the semifinals of the SEC tournament.
In the championship game on Sunday afternoon, the Rebels (25-6)
will meet No. 15 Kentucky, an 87-78 winner over Arkansas in the
second semifinal.
This time last year, Ole Miss was already out of the tournament
and headed toward the NIT.
Ole Miss, which ousted Tennessee 86-73 in the quarterfinals, has
won three straight games and reached the finals for the fifth time
but the first since 1990, when it lost to Kentucky 70-51.
"Last year was a sick feeling coming in last place," Flanigan
said. "Over the summer we worked hard and we knew we had to lead
these young guys. We knew they were going to work hard and listen
to us."
"We have just been blessed all season long."
Florida (23-6), which got to the Final Four last season, was
hoping its battle with injuries could be conquered with another win
to help lock up a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"I don't know enough to say where we'll be seeded," Gators'
coach Billy Donovan said. "If we get an invitation, I'll be very,
very pleased and happy."
The Gators made a win tough. The Rebels were able to hold on
after Flanigan gave Ole Miss a 66-65 lead with 3:38 to go with one
free throw.
Ole Miss had gone ahead by seven with 7:55 left, but Florida
rallied again with an 8-1 run capped by Udonis Haslem's basket that
tied it at 65 with 4:25 to go. Flanigan then made one free throw
and Lockhart scored to put Ole Miss back ahead 68-65 with 2:49
left.
Flanigan made just one free throw and Lockhart fouled out with
35.8 seconds left when he ran into Florida's Brett Nelson along the
perimeter.
Nelson sank both free throws to cut it to 70-69, but Ole Miss
managed to get the ball downcourt against Florida's press without a
foul.
Jason Holmes passed to Reed under the basket for an easy layup
with 19.9 seconds left that pushed the lead back to three.
Nelson missed a driving layup on the ensuing possession, and
Flanigan was fouled at the other end and made both free throws to
seal the win.
"It's one of the toughest games I've had the opportunity to
coach," Rebels coach Rod Barnes said. "We kept hanging in there
and that's what we've done all season long."
Second-seeded Florida, which had won eight straight and held off
Alabama 69-61 the night before, just couldn't pull out a win.
"That's the thing that was so disappointing to me. I sat up
here yesterday and talked in great detail about the character (of
the team) and the things they overcame to beat Alabama last
night," Donovan said.
Holmes scored 13 and Lockhart and Harper had 11 each for the
top-seeded Rebels.
Flanigan finished 6-of-8 from the foul line and had eight
points.
Haslem scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Nelson
added 13, Matt Bonner 11 and Teddy Dupay 10 for the second-seeded
Gators, who had won eight straight to take a share of the regular
season SEC title. Florida has not reached the finals since 1994.
Trailing 40-34 at halftime, the Gators tied it at 40 after
Bonner and Dupay each hit 3s to open the second half.
Neither team led by more than four afterward until Ole Miss had
a 13-2 run to erase a four-point deficit and go ahead 64-57 with
7:55 remaining.
Brent Wright, a key reserve for Florida, missed a second
tournament game to rehabilitate his right foot. Donovan plans to
announce Wright's status on Monday.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
Mississippi Clubhouse
NCAA Basketball Championship Week
Kentucky continues amazing SEC semifinal run
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