Florida dispatches Marquette to advance to West Regional final Reporting from Phoenix -- Florida's 68-58 victory over Marquette on Thursday night at US Airways Center sets up a classic pupil vs. mentor matchup for Saturday's West Regional finals. Ready for Florida's Billy Donovan vs. Louisville's Rick Pitino? Louisville advanced to Saturday's game with a victory over Michigan State. Donovan was the star guard and Pitino was the young coach when Providence made a run to the Final Four in 1987. Donovan later joined Pitino's staff at Kentucky and that paved the path for Donovan's career at Florida. "I learned some incredible lessons through coach," Donovan said at Wednesday's pre-game media sessions. Florida led by six at the half and soon increased it. Bradley Beal's corner three-point basket, right out of a time out, put the Gators up 12 with 14:24 left. Erik Murphy's lay-up a minute later made it a 14-point lead at 48-34. Was the game over? Third-seeded Marquette started crawling back and cut the lead to six, 58-52, on Todd Mayo's three-pointer with 3:13 left. Kenny Boynton hit five clutch free throws in the final 1:15 left to put Florida up 10 and the Gators held on from there. Florida is now one victory from becoming the first seventh-seeded team to advance to the Final Four since the tournament was expanded in 1985. "He's quite unique, quite special," Pitino said of Donovan. I think he's one of the premiere coaches in out game because he lets his players play. Florida finished tied for second at 10-6 in the SEC. The Gators lost to Kentucky three times, the last a 74-71 defeat on March 10 in the SEC Tournament Thursday's second game was fast-paced and in stark contrast to Michigan State and Louisville. Florida and Marquette are athletic teams that try to beat you down the court. Florida averaged 76.3 points per game to Marquette's 75.9. Florida had not been tested in the tournament, beating Virginia and Norfolk State by a combined 60 points. The Gators became the first team in tournament history to score 70 points and allow 50 or fewer in its first two games. Marquette advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 20-point win over Brigham Young and a nine-point victory against Murray State. Fourth-year Marquette Coach Buzz Williams did his best to play the self-deprecating role in this region. Williams was in a regional that featured three coaches who have amassed four national titles and 14 Final Four appearances. Thursday, Williams took his 3-3 NCAA record against Florida's Donovan, who was 25-9 in the tournament with two national titles. "I should be in the Lone Star Conference, a Division II league in Texas, " Williams said when asked about coaching in a region with Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo and Donovan. I should be an assistant in that league. So I don't belong. I don't compare.