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Florida cruises to win over UAB

Jan 4, 2012 - 4:21 AM Gainesville, FL (Sports Network) - Erving Walker nailed seven three-pointers and scored 23 points, while Kenny Boynton added 20 points and six three- pointers as No. 13 Florida downed UAB, 79-61, on Tuesday.

Patric Young scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds for the Gators (12-3), who open up SEC play in Knoxville against Tennessee on Saturday.

"The thing I'm most pleased about tonight more than anything is that Erving Walker could take four shots last game and not be really in the flow of the game, and then he could come back in this game and score 23 points," Florida head coach Billy Donovan said. "We're going to score points provided they play the right way. Tonight it happened to be Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton. Those guys really made some plays."

Cameron Moore had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Blazers (5-8), who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

A 12-3 run by the Blazers -- following a 12-4 start by the Gators -- gave UAB its first and only lead of the contest, 16-15, midway through the opening half.

Florida closed the stanza on a 10-2 run, capped by a Boynton three-pointer with seven seconds left. The Blazers were held without a field goal for the final 5:34 of the half.

Although UAB shot just 30.8 percent, its relentless attack on the offensive glass kept the Blazers within shouting distance, 37-26, heading into the break. They held a 9-2 advantage on the offensive boards and a 21-13 advantage overall.

Florida began to run away from the Blazers in the second half. Back-to-back three-pointers by Boynton and Walker gave Florida its largest lead, 55-34.

UAB, though, pulled within 11, 64-55, after Quincy Taylor nailed a straightaway three and a pair of free throws with five minutes left.

But once again, back-to-back three-pointers by Boynton and Walker made it a 70-55 game, and Florida didn't look back.

Florida made a season-high 15 three-pointers and finished the game shooting 57.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Game Notes

Gene Bartow, who founded the UAB athletics program and led two different teams to the Final Four, died after a battle with cancer on Tuesday. Bartow died at his home in Birmingham, UAB said. He was 81...Florida holds a 3-0 lead in the series...The Gators did not attempt a foul shot in the first half...The Gators defeated UAB, 75-70, in Gainesville in 2006...UAB outrebounded Florida 14-10 on the offensive glass, and 24-22 overall.