Miller Lifts Florida In OT

March 17, 2000 / 6:04 PM EST / CBS/AP

Mike Miller drove through the lane and scored at the buzzer to give fifth-seeded Florida a 69-68 overtime victory over Butler on Friday in the NCAA East Regional.

The play was so close that the officials went to video replay, using a rule that was added at midseason, to verify the basket.

Miller, who finished with 16 points, got the chance to win the game after Butler's LaVall Jordan, an 83-percent free-throw shooter during the season, missed two attempts with 8.1 seconds left.

Butler's Andrew Graves hit a 3-pointer with 30.5 seconds left in overtime that gave the Bulldogs a 68-65 lead, but Florida's Kenyan Weaks made a layup 20 seconds later.

The 6-foot-8 Miller, who also had 13 rebounds, got the ball at the left side of the key with about three seconds left. Instead of pulling up for a jumper, Florida's leading scorer drove inside and just got off the short shot in the lane before the buzzer.

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Florida's bench erupted and mobbed Miller on the floor as he was buried in a sea of blue and orange. The Butler players put their hands on their heads in disbelief.

The score was tied at 46 with 10:07 left before Butler went on an 8-2 run. Graves, who had 20 points, hit a 3-pointer during the spurt on the first possession that the Gators tried a zone defense.

Florida (25-7) led by seven six minutes later, but refused to give in to the Bulldogs (23-8). A pair of free throws by Udonis Haslem tied it at 60 with 15.2 seconds left.

That set up a potential game-winner in regulation for Butler, but Jordan missed a 16-footer.

Butler shot 36 percent, but forced Florida into 19 turnovrs.

Graves, scoreless in 20 minutes in the title game of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference tournament, made four 3-pointers and was 8-for-9 from the line.

Butler, which last beat an SEC in 1958, came out tight, going 1-for-8 from the field with four turnovers as Florida built a 17-9.

But Graves hit a pair of NBA-range 3-pointers and two free throws in a two-minute span as Butler used a 14-2 run to take the lead.

The Gators were able to get three follow shots in the final three minutes of the half to regain the lead at 31-29.

Florida's victory improved the Southeastern Conference's record in first-round games to 5-0.