The second-ranked Florida Gators overcame a first-half slump to defeat LSU 79-65 in Baton Rouge Saturday evening, extending their winning streak to six games and improving to 24-3 (11-3 SEC) on the season.
Led by sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu’s career-high 19 points and 13 rebounds, the Gators demonstrated their resilience after surrendering an early lead. Florida initially dominated, racing to an 18-4 advantage, but LSU (14-13, 3-11 SEC) responded with a stunning 22-2 run to take a 37-31 lead into halftime.
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“Credit to LSU, I thought they punked us back half of the first half,” said Florida head coach Todd Golden. “They went on a 22-2 run, made some big threes, played with a lot of confidence, didn’t allow us to operate very comfortably offensively.”
The Tigers extended their lead to 46-38 early in the second half before Florida regained control with a decisive 22-6 run. When LSU threatened late, cutting the lead to four with 7:56 remaining, the Gators closed out strong with a 16-6 run, including a 14-0 stretch that sealed the victory.
Thomas Haugh contributed significantly with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Alijah Martin (14 points), Walter Clayton Jr. (13), and Denzel Aberdeen (11) also reached double figures. Playing near his hometown of Summit, Mississippi, Martin delivered crucial baskets down the stretch in front of approximately 100 family and friends.
Chinyelu’s dominant performance drew high praise from his head coach. “His best game as a Gator, for sure,” Golden said. “Rueben just did a great job imposing his will, finishing around the rim and cleaning up the glass. He’s improving so much in real time, and he’s given us a big lift over these last couple weeks.”
“Just playing my game, getting what I need from teammates and knowing I have to be there for them. That all just brings the best out of me,” reflected Chinyelu on his career night.
“I think 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,” reflected Haugh on the team’s early struggles. “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 victory marked Florida’s 19th win by double digits this season and kept them undefeated against LSU under Todd Golden at 4-0. The Gators will look to extend their winning streak when they travel to face Georgia on Tuesday at 7 PM.
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