#7/6 Florida 99, North Florida 45
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center | Gainesville, Fla.
Box Score<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/12/21/UF_99__UNF_45.pdf> | Season Stats<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/11/15/2024-25_UFstats.pdf> | Courtesy Photos & Press Conferences<https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rb8ojhaf9ygpi6d0k3c9e/ANF6-ow4Wppu1j1zjAsnMXA?rlkey=g1esu5ww8r31yd8dyekcik5iw&st=3b1ht5u5&dl=0>
Records: Florida 12-0; North Florida 7-6
Next Up: Sunday, Dec. 29, 1 p.m., Stetson, SEC Network+
Notable
* Several early double-digit scoring runs – one 13-0 and two 10-0 runs – helped the Gators jump to a 35-10 start, and Florida never looked back, adding another 14-0 run to close out the first half with a 54-17 advantage.
* Will Richard scored 18 of his career-high 26 points in the first half, and knocked down a personal-best six 3-pointers.
* As late as the 13:00 mark of the second half, Richard was outscoring North Florida’s entire team (26-25 at that point).
* Three Gators finished with a double-double: Sam Alexis (14p/12r), Alex Condon (12p/10r) and Thomas Haugh (10p/10r). It marked Alexis’ first as a Gator and 12th career, Condon’s third career and first of the season, and the first of Haugh’s career.
* The last time Florida had three double-doubles was in a double-overtime win vs. Alabama on Jan. 4, 2020: Kerry Blackshear Jr. (24p/16r), Scottie Lewis (15p/10r) and Keyontae Johnson (10p/12r).
* The last time three Gators had a double-double in a regulation-length game was Dec. 18, 2005, vs. Jacksonville: Joakim Noah (21p/10r), Al Horford (20p/11r) and Corey Brewer (15p/13a/10r).
* The Gators’ 54-point margin of victory tied the ninth-largest in program history and seventh-largest at the O’Connell Center. It was the largest since a 56-point win, 83-27, vs. Southern on Nov. 28, 2007.
* Walter Clayton Jr. extended his streak to 35 straight games with a made 3-pointer, passing Kenny Boynton (2011-12) for the third-longest such streak in Florida history (Michael Frazier II, 41; Lee Humphrey, 39).
* Florida’s 65 rebounds marked the most by the Gators this century, surpassing the 62 UF grabbed vs. Jackson State in the 2007 NCAA Tournament (3/16/07). The 26 offensive rebounds matched the Gators’ most on record (1/10/24 at Ole Miss; 12/29/93 vs. Louisville).
* The Gators held the nation’s top 3-point shooting team in check, limiting the Ospreys to 8-for-34 (.235) from beyond the arc after UNF entered hitting 13.6 3s per game. Over the last three games, UF’s opponents are shooting 20-for-87 (.230) from 3-point range.
* At 12-0, UF has extended its second-best start in program history (17-0 in 2005-06). Eleven of the 12 have been by a margin of at least 13 points. UF has a +22.6 average margin of victory.
* UF’s 12-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the nation, the eighth-longest in program history and UF’s longest since its 30-game run in the 2013-14 season. The Gators also extended their home winning streak to 14.
Head Coach Todd Golden
Opening statement…
“Thought our guys did a great job of just attacking this game like it was any other. We talked a lot over the last couple of days about not allowing our last two games to affect how we approach this one. What I mean by that, obviously Arizona State was a game that was easy to get up for, and we played very well. Carolina, another game, really easy to get up for. Played well, finished, found a way to win. A game like this, coming home, the last game before a break, early in the afternoon, everybody getting out of here to go see friends of family after, it’s usually tough to get motivated and to maintain focus to come out and play well. I thought our guys did an incredible job of, as I said, treating North Florida with great respect in the way we approach the game. We knew they were very good offensive team and our last couple of days of practice were really good in terms of our intent and the way we approached how we wanted to guard these guys, and our switching worked. I thought we did a great job of limiting their attempts, limiting good shots and limiting second chances. So overall, great effort, a good game to have right before the break and pleased with where we are right now.”
On not allowing this to be a trap game and starting hot…
“Not only the start, but just the continuity of the game and the way we played, being up big at halftime and so coming out and out and winning by 17 in the second half. I thought really we probably only had like four or five defensive possessions where we got a little lazy or we didn’t execute very well. Again, this team was nerve-wracking to prepare for because they play so perimeter-oriented and they shoot so many threes, they’ve obviously had two high major wins already this year. The way we play, you worry sometimes about teams going small on you and spreading you out, but all of our frontcourt players did a great job moving their feet. And not only moving their feet and doing a good job switching on the ball screens, but having great alert alertness off the ball and not allowing, once they did switch on a guard, their natural inclination to get back in the paint. They stayed attached and they stayed alert and that allowed us to play really well defensively today.”
On have three players with double-doubles…
“I think it’s very rare, most likely. Not on a team I’ve coached. Those guys, the fact that they all did it at right around 20 minutes, too. I think Tommy [Haugh] led us in minutes at 21:49. All the four of those [frontcourt] guys played a ride around 20 and the fact that they were so impactful on the boards and finishing up around the rim to get double figure points was awesome.”
On the offensive rebounding proficiency, whether that was something the coaches expected…
“It was definitely an area we thought we would be good. We were definitely concerned, though, after losing Micah [Handlogten] and Tyrese [Samuel]. Both of those guys were very good offensive rebounders. Micah was one of the best in the country last year, definitely top five offensive rebound rate. It’s really important to the way we play. We gotta be able to create some second-chance opportunities, with playing a couple bigs out there. So, I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I’m definitely pleased that we’ve been able to do it at such a high level so far.”
Junior F Sam Alexis
On the team’s offensive rebounding performance…
“I just feel like our coaches always emphasize, attack the glass. They were little, so all the bigs’ mentality was go get the rebound, get second-chance points.”
Senior G Will Richard
On avoiding a letdown today…
“That was a big part of coach’s message going into the game, just not to relax. I mean, we know they’re a good team, they’re good offensively, so just making sure we came out here and did what we were supposed to do, to handle business from the start.”
On what was working for him today…
“Yeah, just taking the looks they were giving me. I put in a lot of work shooting and just in general, so just taking the looks and being confident in my shot.”
