The tenth-ranked University of Florida men's basketball team staged a furious comeback on the road, only to lose to DePaul, 71-69 at the United Center in Chicago on Wednesday night.

The Gators had the ball in the final seconds, but turned the ball over without getting a crack at the potential tying basket.

Down by 21 points early in the second half, the Gators went on a 30-11 run to knot the score at 64-64 on sophomore forward Mike Miller's three-pointer. Miller (pictured left) scored 16 of his game- high 22 points in the second half.

"When you get in a hole by 20 points, it's tough to expect to win," said Gator coach Billy Donovan in his post- game radio interview. "I was happy with their battle, their effort, how much they gave me. They gave me everything they had."

Freshman point guard Brett Nelson scored 13 points and helped the Gators comeback bid in the second half. Udonis Haslem finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Quinten Richardson led the Blue Demons with 17 points.

Florida drops to 14-4 on the year while DePaul improves to 13-6.

The Gators get back into SEC play Saturday afternoon at home against 20th-ranked Vanderbilt. Tip-off is set for 3:00.