KJ Simpson game-winner vs. Florida: Colorado star sinks Gators with last second shot in March Madness

Kyle Irving

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KJ Simpson game-winner vs. Florida: Colorado star sinks Gators with last second shot in March Madness image

March Madness doesn't officially start until the first game-winning shot of the tournament. 

By that rule, Colorado's KJ Simpson got the party started on Friday.

After going the entire first day of the NCAA Tournament without a game-winner, No. 10 Colorado delivered an upset win over No. 7 Florida in the final seconds.

The Buffaloes and Gators went back-and-forth for the entire first half but Colorado started to pull away in the second half. When you play complacent in March, teams will creep back into a contest before you can blink.

The Buffaloes learned that the hard way against Florida, which came charging back from a double-digit deficit in the final five minutes. The inspiring effort was wiped away in an instant, as Simpson's clutch shot bounced around and dropped to sink the Gators' comeback hopes.

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KJ Simpson game-winner leads Colorado over Florida

Colorado looked like it would cruise to the finish line, leading Florida by as many as 13 points with under five minutes left in the second half. At one point, the Buffaloes rattled off 10 consecutive made field goals to blow open what had been a tight contest for most of the game.

Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. wouldn't let his team go down easy, though.

Walter Clayton Jr. catches fire in Florida's comeback

Clayton poured in 18 of his 33 points in the final five minutes of the game. Every time it felt like Colorado was going to put the game away, Clayton buried a clutch heat check or got downhill to the free throw line to put points on the board with the clock stopped.

Florida's late full-court pressure got to the Buffaloes, forcing turnovers to open the door for a Gators comeback. Colorado star freshman Cody Williams went 1-for-2 at the free throw line to put his team up three with 14 seconds left, and Clayton didn't hesitate to answer with a game-tying heat check over Simpson on the other end.

Colorado advanced the ball to their side of the court and took a timeout to set up a potential game-winning look.

MORE: 2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Where do Colorado's prospects rank?

KJ Simpson's game-winner

All five of the Buffaloes starters had double-digit points. Head coach Tad Boyle could've drawn up a play for any of Simpson, Tristan da Silva, Eddie Lampkin Jr. or J'Vonne Hadley and it would've been a sound decision.

It was Simpson who got his number called, and the junior guard delivered.

Simpson shook free on the in-bounds, cutting toward the baseline. He then rose up over Gators senior Zyon Pullin.

The defense didn't matter. Simpson did his best Kawhi Leonard impersonation with the ball bouncing all around the rim before the shooter's roll finally got it to drop with two seconds on the clock.

Florida's full-court heave thumped off the backboard and Colorado kept its season alive for another game.

Simpson has been one of the most reliable guards in the country and that was evident in the Buffaloes' win. He finished with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting an efficient 7-for-12 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line.

Colorado will advance to take on No. 2 Marquette in the Round of 32 on Sunday, March 24.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.