INDIANAPOLIS -- Colorado guard KJ Simpson spent three years and dozens of practices working on the shots his team might need in critical moments.
His work paid off on the biggest stage in college basketball.
Simpson rattled in a tiebreaking jumper from the baseline with 2 seconds left, and 10th-seeded Colorado beat seventh-seeded Florida in a 102-100 thriller in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. He finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to set up Sunday's South Region matchup against Marquette.
"We always go through preparation with time and score, situations like that in practice, and it was just another one of those times," Simpson said. "Obviously, it was a play that was set up for multiple actions out of it. I happened to break free, was looking to just drive and create something, whatever was the best lane, and noticed the defender got a little off balance. I just shot what I shoot a bunch of times."
Simpson's shot hung on the rim for a moment before dropping through the net. When Walter Clayton Jr.'s half-court heave missed for Florida, the Buffaloes began a wild celebration led by 6-11, 285-pound Eddie Lampkin Jr. running around the court, nodding his head and yelling with fans.
The Buffs (26-10) and Gators (24-12) produced the most impressive offensive game so far in this year's March Madness, showing no fatigue after both played in conference title games. Colorado beat Boise State in the First Four on Wednesday, then extended its single-season school record for wins.
Barely.
"I thought to myself at halftime, if we don't start guarding better ... we've got to score 100 to win tonight," Colorado Coach Tad Boyle said. "And we needed 102. Actually we only needed 101, but we got 102."
Colorado was nearly unstoppable for a long stretch in the second half and led 94-81 with 4:28 to play. Then Clayton rallied the Gators, taking advantage of the Buffs' mistakes and scoring Florida's final 16 points.
Clayton converted a three-point play with 1:12 left. He buried a three-pointer with 37 seconds left to get Florida within 99-96, and then pulled up from well outside the arc for the tying basket to make it 100-all with 9 seconds left.
Clayton finished with a career-high 33 points. Simpson guarded him late, without much success.
"I thought he was right there a lot of times," Boyle said of Simpson. "We were right there. He just made some tough shots. That last three at the end, I don't think it was bad defense, we just came down and he raised up. He's a good player."
Lampkin scored 21 points for Colorado. Tristan da Silva added 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and J'Vonne Hadley had 16.
Will Richard scored 15 points and Zyon Pullin had 13 for Florida, which had won its previous nine first-round games, dating to a 2010 double-overtime loss to Brigham Young.
HOUSTON 86, LONGWOOD 46
MEMPHIS -- LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn scored 17 points each as top-seeded Houston built a quick double-digit lead and pounded 16 seed Longwood..
Coach Kelvin Sampson's Cougars (31-4) lived up to their reputation for smothering defense. They led 10-0 less than four minutes into the game and held the Lancers (21-14) to 16 points on 26.3% shooting in the first half.
Emanuel Sharp added 13 points and Jamal Shead finished with 11 points and nine assists for Houston, which will face Texas A&M on Sunday.
Johnathan Massie led Longwood, the Big South Conference champion, with 10 points.
TEXAS A&M 98,
NEBRASKA 83
MEMPHIS -- Wade Taylor IV scored 25 points and No. 9 seed Texas A&M sent eighth-seeded Nebraska home still looking for its first NCAA Tournament victory, beating the Huskers.
The Aggies (21-14) added insult to injury by beating Nebraska after unexpectedly hiring Athletic Director Trev Alberts away from his alma mater for the same job last week.
Manny Obaseki added 22 points for the Aggies, who had five players with 10 or more points and scored a season high in points. Tyrece Radford finished with 20, Jace Carter 13 and Henry Coleman III had 10.
Nebraska (23-11) leaves Memphis still looking for that elusive NCAA victory following the program's best finish in Big Ten play since 1992-93. The Huskers tied for third and then reached the Big Ten semifinals, posting the second-most wins in program history to earn Coach Fred Hoiberg an extension.
Brice Williams led the Huskers with 24 points. Keisei Tominaga had 21, and Josiah Allick had 14.
MARQUETTE 87,
WESTERN KENTUCKY 69
INDIANAPOLIS -- Kam Jones scored 28 points and Tyler Kolek made a successful return from an oblique injury, helping No. 2 seed Marquette rally for a victory over No. 15 seed Western Kentucky.
The Golden Eagles (26-9) trailed 43-36 at halftime, but they overwhelmed the Hilltoppers in the second half.
Jones scored 18 in the second half. Kolek finished with 18 points and 11 assists in his first game since Feb. 28.
Tyrone Marshall scored a career-high 21 points for WKU (22-12), which seized momentum from Marquette midway through the first half in its first NCAA appearance since 2013.
DUKE 64,VERMONT 47
NEW YORK -- Jared McCain and Mark Mitchell each had 15 points, and No. 4 seed Duke opened the NCAA Tournament with an uneven performance before finally pulling away from 13th-seeded Vermont.
Jeremy Roach scored 14 for the Blue Devils (25-8), who were able to advance without much offensive production from star center Kyle Filipowski. The sophomore took only one shot and scored a career-low three points, though he did grab 12 rebounds.
Shamir Bogues had 18 points for Vermont (28-7).
JAMES MADISON 72,
WISCONSIN 61
NEW YORK -- Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 14 points and James Madison pulled off the first 12-5 upset of the NCAA Tournament by beating Wisconsin.
The 12th-seeded Dukes (32-3) will face fourth-seeded Duke on Sunday in the second round of the South Region in Brooklyn, where the JMU fans made themselves right at home.
The Dukes, who had not been in the tournament since 2013, are into the second round for the first time since 1983 --bringing with them a 14-game winning streak that is the longest in the nation.
Florida head coach Todd Golden reacts to a call in the second half of a first-round college basketball game against Colorado in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colorado center Eddie Lampkin Jr. celebrates in the second half of a first-round college basketball game against Florida in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colorado guard KJ Simpson (2) shoots over Florida guard Zyon Pullin (0) at the end of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis. Colorado won 102-100. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colorado center Eddie Lampkin Jr. celebrates at the end of a first-round college basketball game against Florida in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis. Colorado won 102-100. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr., center, walks off the court with teammate guard Will Richard (5) after a first-round college basketball game against Colorado in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis. Colorado won 102-100. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colorado center Eddie Lampkin Jr. (44) drives around Florida forward Alex Condon (21) in the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colorado center Eddie Lampkin Jr. (44) drvies to the basket past Florida forward Tyrese Samuel (4) in the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Florida forward Alex Condon, center, grabs a rebound between Colorado guard J'Vonne Hadley, left, and guard KJ Simpson, right, in the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colorado forward Tristan da Silva (23) drives between Florida forward Alex Condon (21) and forward Thomas Haugh, right, in the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 22, 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)