March 21, 2009

Miami Falls to Florida in Second Round of NIT

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Nick Calathes couldn't get Florida into the NCAA tournament. Now, he's doing all he can to extend the season.

Calathes had 21 points, Alex Tyus added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and the Gators beat in-state rival Miami 74-60 in the second round of the NIT on Friday night.

Florida (25-10) improved to 18-1 at the O'Connell Center this season, tying a school record for home wins, and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. The top-seeded Gators will host No. 2 seed Penn State on Tuesday night.

Miami (19-13) got behind early, trailing by 22 points in the first half. The Hurricanes cut the lead to 11 several times in the second half, but couldn't get any closer.

Dwayne Collins led Miami with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Jack McClinton added 13 points -- including three 3-pointers -- in his final game for the Hurricanes.