History was nipping at the University of Florida's heels like, well, a puppy dog.
Then with one thunderous dunk, Patric Young proved once again why the Gator is on the higher end of the food chain.
His and-one slam nearly seven minutes into the second half Thursday gave Florida a lead over the Albany Great Danes that UF would never relinquish.
The final score: Florida 67, Albany 55 - a score that appropriately indicated that UF was the better team, but also that the Gators better get much better quick if it wants a third national title in nine seasons.
Five players - Young (10 points, 10 rebound), Dorian Finney-Smith (16), Casey Prather (16), Kasey Hill (10) and Scottie Wilbekin (10) - scored in double figures for Florida, who outscored Albany 28-16 after Young's emotional bucket.
For the top-ranked Gators, it was their 27th consecutive win, a school record. With the late, decisive push, the Gators survived infamy; no 1 seed has ever lost to a 16 seed in tournament history.
D.J. Evans scored a game-high 21 for undermanned Albany, which played a first-round game in Dayton, Ohio, less than 48 hours earlier.
The Great Danes, champions of the American East, kept within shouting distance early thanks to a torrid start. Albany made 11 of its first 16 shots, but never led by more than four.
Once those shots stopped falling - the Danes closed the half missing 9 of their last 10 - Florida pushed ahead.
Finney-Smith and Prather both went for 10 in the first half, which Florida closed on a 6-0 run to take a 34-28 lead into the break.
If it seemed a bit like déjà vu for Gators fans, there's a reason: The last time UF was a No. 1 seed (2007), it led 16th-seeded Jackson State by just six at halftime. The Gators went on to win 112-69.
The top-ranked, top-seeded Gators will face Pittsburgh in the third round Saturday. The ninth-seeded Panthers blitzed Colorado 77-48 in the early game.
With the victory, this year's UF senior class - Prather, Young, Wilbekin and Will Yeguete - tied the school record for most wins over a four-year career.
NCAA TOURNAMENT | FLORIDA 67, ALBANY 55
History was nipping at the University of Florida's heels like, well, a puppy dog.
NCAA Tournament
For Florida's seniors, this will be their last chance to win a national title after falling short in the Elite Eight the past three seasons.
Casey Prather and Dorian Finney-Smith each scored 16 points and Florida withstood a challenge from heavy underdog Albany to earn a 67-55 victory in an NCAA Tournament South Region second-round clash.
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, March 20, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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