The Gator men's basketball team is Big Apple bound! Walter Hodge scored 18 points and Chandler Parsons added 15 as Florida beat Arizona State 70-57 on Tuesday night in the NIT quarterfinals.

The Gators (24-11) also got 11 points and 9 assists from fab freshman guard Nick Calathes. The Gators shot a season-high 60.5 percent from the floor and picked part Arizona State's zone defense with 26 baskets on 23 assists.

James Harden scored 18 points for ASU (21-13). The Gators will play the University of Massachusetts in the semifinals in Madison Square Garden on April 1.

Early on, the Gators looked like the hotter team, sprinting to a 17-3 lead after six minutes. The Gators hit four 3-pointers during that flurry, two by Walter Hodge. The Gators shot 61.9 percent from the floor in the first half, and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc and led 35-29 at halftime.