The No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins hung with the No. 2 seed Florida Gators for most of the game, but the Gators pulled away late for a 73-65 victory, advancing to the Sweet 16 in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. It was the third all-time meeting between the two schools, all in the NCAA tournament, with the Gators winning each time. Erving Walker led the Gators with 21 points.
Reeves Nelson led the Bruins with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Joshua Smith also scored 16 for UCLA, but was limited with four fouls. The Bruins shot 42.6% from the field, compared to 50% for the Gators. Florida will advance to play the winner of No. 3 BYU vs. No. 11 Gonzaga, which tips off at 4:45 p.m. PDT today.
For more UCLA Bruins hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Bruins Nation. For more information on Florida, be sure to read Alligator Army. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, click here.