BATON ROUGE, La. – Florida once again played without its top rebounder, yet still managed to secure its 19th double-digit win of the season — their eighth in SEC play. On a night when the team’s leading scorers fell short of their averages and another key contributor went scoreless, the Gators still found a way to prevail. It wasn’t a smooth ride, but it was classic 2025 Florida basketball: resilient, balanced, and ultimately convincing.
"That's who we are," sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said after UF’s 79-65 victory over LSU on Saturday night. "We find ways to get it done."
This time, the spark came from sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu, who powered inside for a career-best 19 points (8-for-14 shooting, 3-for-3 at the line), 13 rebounds, and two blocks. He was joined by Haugh, making his third consecutive start in place of Alex Condon (ankle). Haugh delivered 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting, including two 3s, while adding 10 rebounds and three assists. Thirteen of his points came after halftime, highlighted by energy plays and dunks that shifted momentum.
The pair’s double-doubles fueled Florida (24-3, 11-3) to a decisive 48-33 rebounding edge, including 19-12 on the offensive glass, which translated into a 17-8 advantage in second-chance points.
"We imposed our will on them in the second half," coach Todd Golden said.
The Gators needed that push. After blowing a 14-point first-half lead and trailing by eight early in the second, they stormed back with contributions from all eight players who saw the floor. Five different Gators grabbed at least six rebounds, matching the five who scored in double figures — the fifth straight game achieving that feat, setting a program record.
- Senior Walter Clayton Jr. added 13 points and six boards.
- Fifth-year Alijah Martin, back in the starting lineup after battling a hip pointer, scored 14 with six rebounds.
- Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen chipped in 11 off the bench.
Florida shot 55.6 percent in the second half, committed a season-low five turnovers, and held LSU to 38.1 percent overall. The defense also limited Cam Carter, the SEC’s No. 3 scorer, to just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-6 from deep.
Thomas Haugh (10) puts in two of his 13 second-half points.
Every Gator on the floor made an impact — including backup center Micah Handlogten (six rebounds), reserve guard Urban Klavzar (five points), and senior guard Will Richard, who went scoreless but contributed five assists and two steals. Their efforts proved critical, especially after LSU, trailing 29-15 with seven minutes left in the first half, erupted with a 22-2 run capped by five 3-pointers from four different players. It felt like a heavy blow, but not a knockout.
"They punked us," coach Todd Golden said of the 37-31 halftime deficit. "At halftime we had to re-calibrate and make sure that we got back to defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball and doing the things that don't require talent."
Thomas Haugh echoed that sentiment: "We got way too comfortable in the first half. We got that lead and thought it was going to be easy. That's not the SEC. You get settled in [and] that can happen. Coach Golden gave us a nice little pep talk at halftime — I can't really say what he said — but we came out in second half and pretty much controlled it."
The turnaround didn’t happen instantly, but momentum shifted soon enough. LSU pushed its lead to 46-38 after a 3-pointer by Curtis Givens III (11 points). Florida responded with six straight points, including two baskets from Rueben Chinyelu, sparking an 18-4 run. Walter Clayton Jr. hit a short jumper to put UF ahead 49-48 just before the 12-minute mark. Klavzar followed with a driving layup off a turnover, and Denzel Aberdeen added a steal and fast-break finish to extend the lead to five.
LSU’s Robert Miller III (19 points, 10 rebounds) cut the margin to three with a layup, but Klavzar immediately answered with a 3-pointer at 10:42 — his sixth straight game with a make from deep — to push the lead back to six. Moments later, Haugh soared for a put-back dunk, then drove the lane for another slam, aided by a strong seal from Handlogten, to give Florida an eight-point cushion with 8:56 remaining.
Gators guard Urban Klazar (7) bombs his 3-pointer during UF's second-half run to take control of the game.
Back-to-back LSU baskets trimmed the lead, but Florida quickly responded. A free throw from Micah Handlogten, another dunk from Thomas Haugh, and consecutive three-point plays from Alijah Martin — one traditional and one from beyond the arc following a steal by Will Richard — pushed the Gators back into double digits. From there, they built an 18-point cushion as LSU missed eight of its final 10 attempts.
"In the second half, they physically dominated us," Tigers coach Matt McMahon said. "They're just a really good basketball team."
By the end of the night, Florida had already matched its regular-season and SEC win totals from last year with nearly a quarter of the schedule still remaining.
"We just embraced the moment and kept going," said Rueben Chinyelu, the Washington State transfer, after recording his third double-double of the season in what he called his best game in a Gator uniform. "It's not always going to be sunshine. It's going to be rain sometime. So being able to act in that situation and fight through tough parts of life … you have to stand up and keep walking."
And walk they did — to a sixth consecutive victory, each achieved without at least one regular starter in the lineup. Another collective team effort in a season that continues to showcase resilience. As Haugh put it, that’s simply who they are.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
