Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) recorded his fourth double-double of the season with a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Gators to a 65-61 overtime victory over Vanderbilt on Tuesday at the Stephen C. O’Connel Center.
Parsons has led Florida in scoring and rebounding four and 12 times this season, respectively.
Sophomore Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and Erving Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also added 15 points each, including Boynton’s four makes of four attempts from the free-throw line.
The Gators played Vanderbilt close in the first half with neither team leading by more than four. The Commodores shot 34.5 percent (10-for-29), while the Gators shot 36.7 percent (11-30). The score reflected the parity, as Florida led 25-24 at halftime after a long three-pointer by Walker.
Florida kept a steady lead in the second half, stretching it to eight points at the 12:24 mark, but Vanderbilt stormed back to narrow the margin to two.
With 23 seconds left, Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins made two free throws to even the score and force the game into overtime.
Four different Florida players scored in the extra period to give the Gators their third-straight overtime win.
Florida’s defense held the Commodores to 61 points when they were averaging 78.8 points per game and held Vanderbilt’s Jeffery Taylor to just seven points when he previously averaged 15.2
The Gators will be back in action at 9 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 5 when they host No. 13 Kentucky and the ESPN College GameDay Crew.
