DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Florida was cruising toward a surprisingly easy victory over Nevada in its opening NCAA Tournament game.

Then Nevada furiously tried to stave off the upset with a frantic second-half push that fell just short. Florida nearly squandered a double-digit lead before finally stopping the comeback and closing out a 70-61 Thursday night victory in the West Region.

"I thought we were just watching the clock and hoping a little bit," Florida coach Mike White said about Nevada's late push.