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ORLANDO, Fla. Jean Segura Brewers Jersey . -- Billy Donovans bench came up big, bailing out top-seeded Florida in a tight game against what was supposed to be an overmatched opponent. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 16 points, most of them on dunks, and the Gators used a second-half surge to beat No. 16 seed Albany 67-55 in the NCAA tournament Thursday. The Gators (33-2) showed some vulnerability, though, while extending their school-record winning streak to 27 games. Donovans team sleepwalked through the first half, swapping the lead back and forth with the pesky Great Danes, but Floridas bench provided a much-needed spark. Finney-Smith, the Southeastern Conferences sixth man of the year, was 6-of-10 shooting and tough to handle in the post. Freshman guard Kasey Hill, who wasnt sure he would be able to play because of turf toe, chipped in 10 points off the bench and was dynamic on the open floor. Patric Young finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. Casey Prather (16 points) and Scottie Wilbekin (10) also reached double figures for Florida, which will play ninth-seeded Pittsburgh in the South Region on Saturday. DJ Evans led Albany (19-15) with 21 points and seven rebounds. He set the tone for the Great Danes early, but couldnt do enough to pull off the most elusive enough in college basketball. Floridas win made No. 1 seeds 117-0 against 16 seeds since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. But this one was far from a lopsided affair. The first half couldnt have gone much better for Albany, which was back on the court less than 48 hours after the programs first NCAA tournament win. The Great Danes, who beat Mount St. Marys in the First Four in Daytona, Ohio, made 10 of their first 15 shots and hung with Florida. Albany did an impressive job breaking Floridas press. And coach Will Brown had a clear game plan on defence: Dont let Michael Frazier II get any clean looks from 3-point range, beg Prather to take jumpers and sag in the post on centre Young. The Gators took the bait -- for a while. Frazier was scoreless in the first half, Prather turned into a jump shooter and Young was missing early on. But Donovan adjusted, like hes done so many other times this season, and got Florida rolling. Wilbekin started driving and dishing, creating easy baskets for Young and Finney-Smith at the rim. Finney-Smith had six consecutive points that seemed to get the SEC champs going, and Prather followed with a three-point play. Floridas final 10 baskets of the first half were in the paint. Still, Donovan was livid at halftime and ripped his players for a lack of defence. They responded with a 9-0 run early -- spearheaded by defence -- in the second half that turned out to be the difference. Young started it with a three-point play. Hill followed with a driving layup and then added two free throws after a turnover. Will Yeguete got another steal, and Finney-Smiths emphatic dunk capped the spurt. It was exactly what Florida needed. The Gators pretty much held on from there, making enough post plays and free throws to keep Albany at bay. For Florida, the NCAA tournament has been the goal all season. But as the wins mounted, they turned their attention toward winning a national title. Theyve looked capable much of the season, becoming the first team in SEC history to finish the regular season 18-0 and then won SEC tournament by pulling out tight games against fellow NCAA tournament teams Tennessee and Kentucky. But their performance Thursday left Donovan and many bracket managers shaking their heads. Paul Molitor Jersey . The glamour shot of soccers poster boy hoisting the MLS Cup on Sunday night was seen across the globe. But there was much more for the Galaxy to celebrate than just a feel-good story for Becks. Yovani Gallardo Authentic Jersey . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style.CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with right-hander Ronald Belisario and are closing in on a $4 million, one-year deal with pitcher Scott Downs. Chicago announced the agreement with Belisario on Thursday. The talks with Downs were revealed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The 30-year-old Belisario was 5-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 77 games with the Dodgers last season and 20-12 with a 3.29 ERA over four years. He became a free agent when Los Angeles failed to offer a contract by the Dec. Rickie Weeks Brewers Jersey. 2 deadline. Belisario is scheduled to be eligible for arbitration after the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Downs was 4-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 68 games last season for the Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves. The 37-year-old left-hander is 38-36 with a 3.48 ERA over 564 career appearances. Downs would earn $3.75 million next season, and the White Sox would hold a $4.25 million option for 2015 with a $250,000 buyout. Fox first reported his pending deal. wholesale nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' ' |
