Colorado Took Down Florida In One Of The Best NCAA Tournament Games You’ll Ever See

The bar has been set awfully high for the best game of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, and it’s going to be incredibly difficult for anyone to beat it. The Colorado Buffaloes, which needed the First Four to qualify for the field of 64, took down Florida in the 7-10 game in the South Region, 102-100.

With 4:30 left in the second half of a high-scoring affair, Tristan da Silva dunked to give Colorado a 13-point lead. It looked like the Buffs did more than enough to build up a big lead, but then, Florida got hot, riding transfer guard Walter Clayton Jr. to a 19-6 run that included some absolutely insane shot making from the former Iona star. To tie it, Clayton got the ball after Cody Williams split a pair of free throws and drilled a three from way behind the arc.

But there was too much time left on the clock for the Buffs. With 6.1 seconds remaining, Colorado got the ball into the hands of K.J. Simpson, who got a little fortunate that the referees didn’t call him for a push off. It created just enough space for a jumper that touched every bit of the rim before ultimately going in.

Clayton did get a look from 3/4 court, and if he was only one step to the left, he probably ends up banking it in. But instead, his effort was just a little off, and as a result, Colorado earned a date with Marquette in the second round.