Florida chases BYU and Jimmer Fredette out of the NCAA tournament

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida couldn’t rewrite history, but it could create a new chapter.

A year after losing to Brigham Young in double overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Gators found a way to win in extra minutes. Second-seeded Florida (29-7) took a 83-74 win over BYU in the Sweet 16 in New Orleans Arena on Thursday.

They advanced to the final game of the Southeast Region on Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s late game between No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 8 Butler.

Florida advanced thanks to 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds from Alex Tyus. Kenny Boynton scored 17, Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons had 16 each.

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The teams entered overtime tied, 68-68, but Boynton scored five while Tyus and Parsons each had four.

Third-seeded BYU finished the season at 32-5, and senior Jimmer Fredette ended his career with a 32-point performance against the Gators. The nation’s leading scorer shot 11 for 29 in the game.

After a back-and-forth game with nine ties and eight lead changes, BYU forced overtime as Kyle Collinsworth made one of two free throws to tie the score at 68-68 with 43.5 seconds remaining.

The Gators had two chances to win but Boynton missed a three-pointer and Parsons missed a layup as time ran out.

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In a game of small momentum swings both ways, Florida was able to limit the rest of the Cougars while Fredette led the way. He didn’t score for nearly 14 minutes to start the game, but finished with 10 points before halftime.

Fredette, who entered the game averaging 28.8 points a game and 33 points in the tournament, didn’t score in overtime as he missed three three-point attemps.

Florida led 63-57 late in the second half before Fredette had five points in a 6-0 run, including a three-pointer from about 30 feet to tie the score at 63-63 with 4:57 remaining.

After back-to-back three-pointers by Logan Magnusson and Noah Hartsock gave BYU a 50-49 lead, the Gators went on a 5-0 run. Freshman Will Yeguete got his only points of the game on a layup before he took a charge on Fredette.

BYU guard Jackson Emery received a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct after Fredette’s charge, with Kenny Boynton making both free throws. He made one more after getting fouled on the next possession.

Florida let an early 10-point lead in the first half slip away as the Gators entered halftime tied at 36-36.

In building a 20-10 lead early in the game, the Gators looked like the team that won an SEC regular season title and had been playing its best basketball as of late. They missed one shot, had only one turnover and saw four different players ?Tyus, Walker, Parsons and Boynton ? make 3-pointers.

But Florida reverted to its December ways later in the half. The Gators’ turnover and free-throw shooting problems that led to losses to UCF and Jacksonville allowed BYU to slowly climb back in the game.

After an Erik Murphy layup put Florida up 25-16, the Gators struggled. They had three turnovers and three misses in their next five possessions and saw BYU go on an 11-2 run to tie the score at 27-27.

The teams exchanged 3-pointers ? with one from Walker and one from Stephen Rogers ? before Fredette’s layup put BYU ahead 32-30 and gave the Cougars their first lead since the first two minutes.

Florida had nine turnovers, which BYU used for eight points, and made 16 percent (1-for-6) of its free throws.