No. 8 Florida needs OT to subdue UL-Monroe

Gainesville, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Jon Horford hit the go-ahead shot with 1:18 left in overtime, and No. 8 Florida shook off UL-Monroe by a 61-56 score in a Battle 4 Atlantis preliminary-round contest at O'Connell Center.

Michael Frazier totaled 21 points and eight rebounds for the Gators (2-1), while Chris Chiozza picked up 11 and Jacob Kurtz recorded 13 rebounds for the victorious hosts.

Tylor Ongwae poured in 19 points with eight boards for the Warhawks (2-1). Nick Coppola contributed 11 points in a losing cause.

Horford put Florida ahead with his slam, then Kasey Hill connected twice from the free throw line to extend the lead to four. Ongwae countered with a bucket on the other end. ULM, forced to foul, sent Hill, Chiozza and Frazier to the line in the final 15 seconds. They made just 3-of-6 free shots, but it was enough to emerge with the win.

The visitors led from the outset, taking an 8-4 lead early before the hosts awoke and shifted momentum for a 12-10 edge.

The Warhawks then reeled off 13 in a row to go up by 11 with just over eight minutes left in the first half and extended the lead to 26-14 on a Marvin Williams triple less than a minute later.

Florida closed the half on a 13-3 clip, drawing to 29-27 after a shot from long range by Chiozza.

Williams' layup moved ULM's margin to 35-29 early in the second half, before another momentum swing from Florida resulted in a 15-0 burst that produced a 44-35 lead on a Chiozza layup with 8:45 to play.

The Warhawks refused to go quietly, whittling their deficit from there until Jamaal Samuel and Coppola sank consecutive triples to send the game beyond regulation.

Game Notes

Louisiana-Monroe shot just 32.8 percent from the floor, but Florida connected on just 32.7 percent of its field goals ... The Warhawks only took eight shots at the charity stripe, while the Gators were afforded 32 opportunities ... Horford led all players with three blocks, while Chiozza produced a game-high four steals.