Arlington, TX

The Florida Gators made a 16-0 run late in the first half versus the FGCU Eagles on the way to a 62-50 victory in Friday's Sweet Sixteen tourney game.

Mike Rosario led Florida (29-7) with 15 points. Scottie Wilbekin added 13 points and Casey Prather 11.

FCDU (26-11) jumped out to an early 11-point lead sparked by forward Chase Fieler's 3-pointer from the top of the key.

After Brett Comer stole a pass, he ran down the court and threw up an alley-oop pass for the trailing Sherwood Brown for a slam. Comer then flipped another backward pass to Bernard Thompson for a 3-pointer.

Then Fielder had another 3-pointer -- less than 3 minutes after the first one -- for a 15-4 lead only six minutes into the game.

A Brown tip-in at 10:23 of the first half restored FCDU's 11 point lead at 17-6.

The Eagles still maintained a two-digit lead at 24-14 with over five minutes left when when Michael Frazier connected two consecutive 3-point shots to pull the lead down to 24-20 with 4:21 left in the first half.

Eagles coach Andy Enfield then angrily called timeout, but that didn't stop the Gators, who scored 10 more points to complete the 16-0 run and take a 30-24 lead. Brown's layup cut the Gators lead to 30-26 at the half.

But Florida scored the first seven points of the second half to push their lead to 37-26.

The Gators outscored the Eagles 23-2 in 6 1/2 minute span from the late first half to the early second half.

The Eagles never threatened again and soon their NCAA run was over.

Florida is going to its third straight NCAA regional final. They play Michigan in the South Regional final at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday in trying to get to their first NCAA Final Four since consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007.

Brown led FGCU with 14 points, and Fieler had 12. FGCU's 50 point total matched its season low.

"It was great to see the excitement across the country with the underdog and it's just a real feeling when you're the underdog and you're the talk of the nation," FGCU coach Andy Enfield said. "It was unbelievable to see the excitement and passion of not only our local community, the students, but also the national level. `Our players believed, and they accomplished something special."

Mike Rosario had 15 points and 5 boards to lead Florida to a 62-50 victory over cinderella, Florida Gulf Coast on Friday night

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