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The pump-fake and made 3-pointer by Walter Clayton Jr. on Wednesday night was one of the all-timers. It sent the game into overtime in a battle Florida would eventually win at Rupp Arena.
So, where would you rank it all time at UF? Well, you can’t yet. You have to tie it in a bag and let it dangle from a nail in the sun before you know how important it will be.
Maybe it’s the difference in Florida’s NCAA future. Maybe not.
Let’s wait on the importance of that shot while giving you the five biggest shots I have seen a Gator make:
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It’s still Mike Miller
His twisting jumper in the lane in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Butler not only won the game and resulted in a melee on the floor, it sparked the Gators all the way to a national title game against Michigan State.
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Then there’s Cheese
There was nobody more stunned when Chris Chiozza’s shot went in to beat Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 in 2017. There’s TV evidence of me looking at the celebration trying to find out if it was a two or a three. Then, I had 10 minutes to totally rewrite my column. What a night that was!
[Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports]
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Parsons with a two-fer
I don’t separate these shots from 2010, because without either of them, Florida doesn’t get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years.
Chandler Parsons drilled one from three-quarters court in Raleigh to beat N.C. State and later made a 25-footer to beat South Carolina, both at the buzzer.
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Lee Hump from the corner
Florida had the last game in the first round of the SEC tournament in 2004 and it went to overtime. The hacks were thinking about spending the night, it was so late.
But then the ball found freshman Lee Humphrey in the corner and he nailed a 17-footer to send everyone home except the Gators.
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Gene Shy’s stretch tip
I was there many years ago (1976) as a student when the great Leon Douglas swatted Al Bonner’s shot away. Shy reached out and just kind of tossed it to the basket. It fell through as the buzzer sounded and Florida had a top-10 win over Alabama.
It’s the only time I’ve ever rushed the court, although it seemed like I had no choice.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
