Florida downs Creighton

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Nick Calathes’ triple double – 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists – led Florida to an 82-54 victory Friday night over Creighton, moving the defending two-time national champions into next week’s quarterfinals of the National Invitational Tournament.

Florida (23-11) used a 14-0 spurt midway through the first half to take a 29-12 lead on its way to a 39-19 halftime advantage that amped to 49-21 with a 10-2 getaway in the second half.

Walter Hodge led Florida’s balanced attack with 15 points while Marreese Speights added 14 and Jai Lucas 10.

Calathes got the rare trifecta – just the second in Florida basketball history – with a layup late in the game that gave the Gators a 72-39 lead.

Calathes, a freshman, became the first player in Florida history to collect 200 assists in a season when he dished out his second of early in the game.