All Gators: Florida ends No. 15 Norfolk State's run

OMAHA, Neb. -- Norfolk State was a good story while it lasted.

Against Florida, that wasn't for long.

Kenny Boynton scored 20 points and the balanced Gators routed the 15th-seeded Spartans, 84-50, Sunday to reach the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Any hope Norfolk State had of matching the upset it pulled against Missouri on Friday vanished as the Gators went on a 25-0 run in the first half.

Now Florida is off to Phoenix to face Marquette on Thursday in the round of 16.

The Gators (25-10) had a business-as-usual air about them after dispatching the Spartans. After all, Florida is 17-2 in NCAA Tournament games since 2005-06.

Norfolk State (26-10) shook up the West Regional with its upset Friday and was trying to become the first 15 seed to reach the regional semifinals.

Florida put a quick end to that idea, making five three-pointers during the 25-0 run that made it 29-6 midway through the first half.

"They have a coach who has won two national championships. Clearly it was my first time and our team's first time," Norfolk State coach Anthony Evans said. "If we get back to this point we will know how to handle it and how to get to the next step."

Florida, 4-for-23 from beyond the arc against Virginia, rediscovered its shooting touch early against Norfolk State, making five of its first eight three-point attempts and 10 of 28 for the game.

Guard Erving Walker led the Gators with 15 points. Bradley Beal scored 14, Mike Rosario had 12 and Erik Murphy 10.

The resounding loss put a damper on a fun couple of days for Norfolk State center Kyle O'Quinn, the Queens native who got the celebrity treatment after collecting 26 points and 14 rebounds against Missouri.

O'Quinn was a walking quote machine in the 24 hours after the shocking win over Missouri. He talked about how the upset even blew up his own bracket, how he watched the cheerleaders during breaks in the action and how he was more concerned with having fun than playing basketball in high school.

He wasn't nearly as entertaining on the court against Florida. He missed eight of nine shots and finished with four points.

"We knew this was going to be tough," O'Quinn said. "You have to have things go your way, and tonight nothing went our way. When they hit a three, it kills the momentum."