Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin (5) forces Pittsburgh forward Lamar Patterson (21) to turnover the ball as Pittsburgh guard Josh Newkirk (13) closes in during their third-round game in the NCAA basketball tournament Saturday, March 22, 2014, in Orlando, Fla.ORLANDO, Fla. – Scottie Wilbekin sat on the bench for the final minute, holding a bag of ice against his left knee.
It was about the only time he wasn’t giving Pittsburgh huge problems on both ends of the court.
Wilbekin scored 21 points, including 11 of the team’s 13 during a 7-minute stretch in the second half, and top-seeded Florida handled the Panthers 61-45 in the NCAA tournament Saturday. The Gators’ 28th consecutive win put them in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
The latest victory followed a lackluster and head-scratching performance in the team’s NCAA opener against Albany two days earlier.
The Gators vowed to play with more energy and intensity, and Wilbekin spearheaded the effort.