Florida again posted a NCAA Graduation Success Rate above the NCAA D1 average.
What Happened
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Junior center Rueben Chinyelu delivered Florida’s first 20-rebound performance in more than 30 years, as the 10th-ranked Gators cruised past Merrimack with an 80-45 win before a sellout crowd at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center Friday night.
Chinyelu, the 6-foot-10, 265-pound native of Nigeria, scored five of the game’s opening eight points and finished with 14 on 5-of-8 shooting. His dominance on the boards — 21 rebounds in 27 minutes — marked the most commanding effort by a Gator since Andrew DeClercq grabbed 20 against Kentucky during the 1994 Final Four season. Chinyelu also became the first UF player since Tyrese Samuel two years ago to record three consecutive double-doubles.
Junior forward Alex Condon added to the double-double tally with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Junior forward Thomas Haugh contributed 13 points, while sophomore point guard Boogie Fland chipped in 10.
UF shot 44% overall but limited the Warriors to just 29%. The Gators opened with 11 unanswered points, then strung together a 21-0 run to build a 30-4 lead with under eight minutes remaining in the first half. Their advantage grew to as many as 38 late in the game, punctuated by the appearance of 7-foot-9 walk-on center Olivier Rioux — the tallest player in college basketball history — who scored his first career point and collected his first rebound.
UF center Rueben Chinyelu (9) on the defensive Friday night against the Warriors.
Turning Point
UF held an 11-4 advantage six minutes into the game before breaking it open with a 21-point surge over the next six-plus minutes. Alex Condon contributed six points during that stretch, while backup guards Isaiah Brown and Urban Klavzar each connected from long range.
Staggering Statistic
Chinyelu’s rebounding effort stands out most, but the 21-0 run also marked the Gators’ fourth streak this decade of at least 20 unanswered points. The biggest came during last year’s ESPN Events Invitational holiday tournament in Kissimmee, Florida, when Florida rattled off 27 straight in the championship game of an eventual 88-51 rout of Wichita State. The other two: a 21-0 burst against Virginia in the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Orlando and a 20-0 run versus Merrimack two Decembers ago at the O'Dome.
Up Next
Florida (4-1) heads to San Diego on Tuesday to compete in the Rady Children's Invitational. The four-team event opens with UF facing Texas Christian (3-2) in first-round play on Thanksgiving Day. Depending on results, the Gators will meet either No. 23 Wisconsin (4-0) or Providence (3-2) in the Black Friday championship or consolation round.
Email senior writer
Chris Harry at
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