For UCLA, it's u-g-l-y; Florida dominates Bruins in title game

INDIANAPOLIS -- Game, set, match -- and a championship, too -- for Joakim Noah and the Florida Gators.

The tennis star's son dominated UCLA with 16 points, nine rebounds and a record six blocks Monday night to key a 73-57 blowout for Florida's first national title in basketball.

The championship for Billy Donovan's team comes 10 years after Steve Spurrier led the Gators to a title in that "other" sport. Florida's days being only a football school appear to be, too.

"Our faculty rep said to me before the game that when you start with something from scratch and you build it up to win a championship, that's something special," said Donovan, now in his 12th year at Florida.

For 40 lopsided minutes, the Gators (33-6) were too big, too long and too quick for UCLA, which came up a win short of its 12th national title.

Florida and Noah, voted most outstanding player in the Final Four, won by putting on a thorough display of versatility and unselfishness, a trademark of this team all season.

The Bruins (32-7) were on a defensive tear coming into the championship game, allowing a total of 90 points in the last two games. Florida, though, was just too much to handle.

The Gators won this by taking it right to UCLA early, looking to Noah, Corey Brewer and senior Adrian Moss down low, making the extra pass in the key and finishing with 21 assists, 10 of them from their frontcourt.

Guard Lee Humphrey made two 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the seconed half - he did the same thing in the semifinal against George Mason.

"It's always important when you can make shots," Humphrey said.

Humphrey finished with four 3-pointers and 15 parts, but none bigger than the two shots from behind the arc right after the break.

Just like that, the halftime score of 36-26 became 42-26 - seemingly putting the game out of reach for a UCLA squad that has had plenty of offensive woes.

The Gators, meanwhile, had too many weapons:

* Moss finished with nine points and six rebounds. The team's only senior had played sparingly in the tournament and came into the biggest game of the year with just 10 points in his last nine games.

* Brewer had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

* Al Horford had 14 points and seven rebounds, overcoming foul trouble in the second half and outhustling the Bruins for numerous dunks.