Top 25: No. 8 Florida holds off Alabama

First Published Mar 02 2013 12:21 pm • Last Updated Mar 02 2013 11:57 pm

Gainesville, Fla. • Casey Prather had 10 points and nine rebounds, most of them in the second half, and No. 8 Florida rallied from an eight-point deficit to beat Alabama 64-52 on Saturday.

The Gators used a 15-0 run late in the second half -- fueled by Prather -- to pull away from the Crimson Tide and remain unbeaten at home.

Erik Murphy led Florida (23-5, 13-3 Southeastern Conference) with 15 points. Kenny Boynton added 13, and Scottie Wilbekin chipped in 11.

But there’s no doubt Prather was the key. He played relentless defense and was equally impressive on the other end. With Prather leading the way, Florida outscored Alabama 23-5 over the final 10 minutes.

Trevor Releford led the Tide (19-10, 11-5) with 12 points. Trevor Lacey and Nick Jacobs added 11 points apiece.

Florida made just 2 of 13 shots from 3-point range, but was 22 of 26 from the free throw line.

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