Florida downs Creighton

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

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.

Thank you for visiting Spokesman.com. To continue reading this story and enjoying our local journalism please subscribe or log in.

You have reached your article limit for this month.

Subscribe now and enjoy unlimited digital access to Spokesman.com

Unlimited Digital Access

Stay connected to Spokane for as little as 99¢!

Subscribe for access

Already a Spokesman-Review subscriber? Activate or Log in

You have reached your article limit for this month.

Subscribe now and enjoy unlimited digital access to Spokesman.com

Unlimited Digital Access

Stay connected to Spokane for as little as 99¢!

Subscribe for access

Already a Spokesman-Review subscriber? Activate or Log in

Oops, it appears there has been a technical problem. To access this content as intended, please try reloading the page or returning at a later time. Already a Spokesman-Review subscriber? Activate or Log in