Junior forward Tyler Cavanaugh scored 23 points and knocked down a key 3-pointer in the final minute, and George Washington advanced to the NIT Final Four for the first time in school history after posting an 82-77 victory over Florida on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Kevin Larsen had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Colonials (26-10). Patricio Garino scored 13 points for George Washington, which survived despite making just 12 of 20 free-throw attempts.

Freshman guard KeVaughn Allen scored 22 points for the second-seeded Gators (21-15). Freshman forward Kevarrius Hayes tallied 14 points, Kasey Hill added 12 and Justin Leon had 11 points and seven rebounds.

George Washington will face either San Diego State or Georgia Tech in Tuesday's semifinals at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The Colonials went ahead for good when Cavanaugh split two free throws with 1:32 remaining. Cavanaugh then drilled a huge 3-pointer, his fourth of the contest, to make it 77-73 with 52.8 seconds left as George Washington recorded its 24th consecutive nonconference home victory.

The contest was tied at 45 after Hill's 3-pointer with 16:15 to play before George Washington used a 10-2 run to open up an eight-point advantage with 13:19 left. The Gators roared back with eight straight points and tied the game at 55 on Hayes' dunk with 11:10 remaining.

Cavanaugh scored 10 of George Washington's next 12 points over a three-minute stretch as the Colonials took a 67-62 lead. The Gators again responded and took a 71-70 lead when senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith split two free throws with 3:42 left, and the game was tied at 73 before the Colonials controlled the final 92 seconds.

Florida started strong in the first half and held a 13-8 lead before the Colonials scored the next seven, taking a two-point lead on Matt Hart's 3-pointer with 12:09 left in the half. The contest was tight the rest of the half, and George Washington tallied six of the final eight points to take a 39-36 lead at the break.