What Happened
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Junior forward Alex Condon scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds to pace four Florida players in double figures, as the 10th-ranked Gators defeated Miami 82-68 in the Jacksonville Hoops Showdown before a spirited, UF-heavy crowd Sunday night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
Junior center Rueben Chinyelu recorded his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Junior wing Thomas Haugh added 17 points and eight boards while logging a game-high 36 minutes. Backup guard Urban Klavzar chipped in a career-best 12 points in a career-high 25 minutes, knocking down four of seven attempts from beyond the arc.
UF finished the game shooting 46%, including nine of 29 from 3-point range (31%), while limiting UM to 33.8% overall and just five makes from deep.
The Gators, winners of three straight, were tested inside by the physical Hurricanes, who battled in the paint and on the glass throughout. Miami kept pressing even after UF lost 7-1 reserve center Micah Handlogten to a first-half head injury, and later when both Chinyelu and Condon fouled out within a minute of each other with under six minutes left. Florida, ahead by 18 at that point, managed to hold firm and close out the win.
A late first-half surge gave Florida a 39-29 lead at the break. In the second half, when Miami cut the margin to three, Klavzar answered with a clutch 3-pointer. When the Canes trimmed it to four, Chinyelu responded with consecutive baskets. Another 3 from Klavzar, one from Haugh, and a traditional three-point play helped UF rebuild a double-digit cushion that stretched to 18 with five minutes remaining, despite being without its three low-post contributors.
Miami was paced by forward Malik Reneau, who posted a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.
UF center Rueben Chinyelu (9) in action against UM.
Turning Point
The back-to-back baskets from Chinyelu not only extended Florida’s lead to eight but also energized the crowd. Just under three minutes later, Klavzar buried a 3-pointer to push the margin to 11, and from that point forward the Gators never allowed the lead to dip below double digits.
Staggering Statistic
Florida, which trailed for only 1:55 early in the first half, secured a comfortable win despite limited production from its starting backcourt. Transfers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee combined for 13 points on 3-for-17 shooting, including 0-for-10 from beyond the arc, while contributing six assists and five turnovers. Fland finished with eight points, while Lee added five, missing all six of his 3-point attempts but contributing four rebounds along with team-highs of five assists and three steals.
Up Next
Florida (3-1) returns home Friday night to face Merrimack (1-3) at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, where fans will receive replica national-championship rings. The Warriors, members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, have faced one power-conference opponent so far — a 48-point loss at Auburn — and will host Maine on Wednesday before traveling to Gainesville.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu.
Find his story archives here.
