GATORS

On Destiny's Doorstep

By ANDY STAPLES

Published: Mar 4, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS - Now we know what happens when Cinderella stories reach their saturation point. The evil stepmother begins to feel like the underdog.

The glitterati of the sports media world converged on the RCA Dome this week to fawn over the giant-killers from George Mason University. All the attention given the Patriots didn't escape the notice of the sleeping giant in the locker room down the hall.

Florida players, always alert for a new chip to attach to their shoulders, took the George Mason hype as a slight.

"They didn't respect us," Florida center Chris Richard said with a straight face Saturday night.

Whatever it takes to get to the national title game.

The Gators hammered the Patriots, 73-58, Saturday to advance to Monday's NCAA championship game. Florida will face UCLA, which beat LSU 59-45 in Saturday's other national semifinal.

Florida (32-6) didn't stray from its usual formula against George Mason (27-8). The Gators simply took what George Mason gave them.

The Patriots sagged into the lane to take away the scoring punch of center Al Horford and forward Joakim Noah, but that left Lee Humphrey (19 points), Corey Brewer (19 points) and Taurean Green (15 points) open from the outside.

"This team is special," Noah said, "because everybody steps up at different times."

Humphrey made the night's three most important shots. The Gators led by six at the half, but Humphrey stretched that lead to 12 by immediately hitting two 3-pointers.

Florida extended its lead to 19, but the Patriots refused to quit. George Mason guard Tony Skinn hit a 3-pointer with 6:05 remaining to cut Florida's lead to 11, but Humphrey dropped in a 3-point dagger on the Gators' next possession.

Florida proved Saturday that lessons learned through regular-season losses can help come tournament time. From their loss at Tennessee on Jan. 21, the Gators learned they must go for the throat to secure wins. Humphrey's rally-stuffing 3-pointer was proof the loss left an impression.

From their loss at South Carolina on Jan. 25, the Gators learned the team that grabs offensive rebounds wins the game. Saturday, Florida grabbed 16 and outrebounded George Mason 40-27 overall.

"In the previous games, we did a good job boxing out," George Mason forward Jai Lewis said. "This game, we didn't get a body on people like we should have."

From their loss at home to South Carolina on Feb. 8, the Gators learned they must guard the 3-point line, lest a less-talented team take advantage of what Florida coach Billy Donovan considers the game's great equalizer. Saturday, the Gators guarded the Patriots out to the midcourt stripe. All 11 of George Mason's 3-point attempts were contested, and the Patriots - who entered Saturday making 42 percent of their 3-pointers in NCAA Tournament play - made only two.

As the clock ticked down Saturday, the mostly pro-George Mason crowd went quiet. Only a late rendition of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," one of the Patriots' two unofficial theme songs, by the George Mason band breathed life into a group that seemed resigned to the fact the magic that helped the Patriots beat Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut had run out.

As the final buzzer sounded, George Mason forward Will Thomas draped a towel over his head to hide his tears. On the other side of the floor, Noah pounded his chest as the Gators headed to their locker room.

Sitting at his locker, Florida's Horford didn't seem overly excited about the win.

"We're here to win it," Horford said. "This is just the first step to get there."

And, Horford said, none of the Gators minded smashing a glass slipper to take that step.

"I don't feel bad at all," Horford said. "[George Mason] had a great run, you've got to understand that. They're a mid-major school. It's a great story for them. But it had to come to an end tonight. They were playing the Gators."