Castleton, Mann carry Florida past Virginia Tech

INDIANAPOLIS >> Florida overcame playing shorthanded most of the season after preseason SEC player of the year Keyontae Johnson was lost because of a scary medical episode.

The Gators did it again, getting through to the second round for an eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance — and doing it without two key contributors.

“This team just continues to show character,” Florida coach Mike White said. “No one’s been through what they’ve been through.”

Colin Castleton scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Tre Mann hit a step-back 3-pointer with 23 seconds left in overtime and the seventhseeded Gators held off No. 10 seed Virginia Tech 7570 in a first-round game on Friday.

Florida was cheered on by Johnson, who has turned into a de facto assistant coach since returning to the team following a December game in which he collapsed on the court and was hospitalized. He is still recovering from the episode, and doctors told him he could not play again this season.

The Gators had plenty of time to learn how to play without Johnson. But they opened the NCAAs without key forward Omar Payne, who was benched by White, and lost starting guard Tyree Appleby midway through the second half after an inadvertent elbow opened a gash on his forehead.

Enter Castleton, who was dominant on the inside. And Mann came through with a pair of key 3-pointers late to send the Gators (15-9) into the second round to face Oral Roberts after it stunned No. 2 seed Ohio State.

“It just shows who we are as a team, our character,” said Castleton, a transfer from Michigan. “We went through a lot of other stuff off the court, and this game today we went through a lot on the court.”

Mann hit a 3 with 2:49 left in regulation, a shot that became huge as Virginia Tech rallied in the closing seconds and forced overtime on Nahiem Alleyne’s 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left.

Mann’s second big 3-pointer gave the Gators a 74-70 lead and proved enough after Cordell Pemsel’s missed jumper with 10 seconds left.

Mann, an all-SEC performer, finished with 14 points. Scottie Lewis added 15 for the Gators.

Alleyne was brilliant for the Hokies (15-7) through regulation but was held to just one basket in overtime. He finished with 30 points and scored the final 12 of regulation for Virginia Tech.

“I mean it was a crazy feeling. Everybody’s dream is to hit a big shot. Big-time players made big-time plays,” Alleyne said of the tying 3-pointer. “It was just a crazy feeling.”