The #10 Florida Gators delivered a resounding statement Sunday night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, crushing Miami 82-68 in the GEICO Jacksonville Hoops Showdown. The victory capped a triumphant rivalry week that saw Florida topple both FSU and Miami in the same season for the first time in nearly two decades.
The Tale of Two Halves: Florida’s Fourth-Quarter Woes Strike Again in Oxford
Balanced Attack Powers Florida
Four Gators reached double figures with 15 or more points, showcasing the team’s offensive depth. Junior forward Alex Condon led the charge with 19 points and seven rebounds, dominating in the paint before fouling out late. Despite the foul trouble, Condon’s impact was undeniable.
“I just played free. I didn’t try to think too much about it, which obviously cost me in the end because we’re supposed to play without fouling,” Condon reflected postgame. “It’s something I need to tighten a little bit and realize the team needs me at the end of the stretch.”
Rueben Chinyelu continued his impressive recent form, posting his second consecutive double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds—his sixth double-double as a Gator. Thomas Haugh delivered another all-around performance with 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, shooting efficiently at 5-for-9 from the floor.
Klavžar’s Breakout Performance
The night’s revelation came from junior guard Urban Klavžar, who exploded for a career-high 15 points off the bench, draining 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. His timely shooting proved crucial as Florida’s starting big men battled foul trouble.
“I feel like you just have to stay ready,” Klavžar explained. “I saw they got five fouls there and I had to stay ready to shoot those jump shots. We play with great guards and I knew Xaivian and Boogie can get me open anytime. Or even Thomas. I just had to stay ready and shoot the shots with confidence.”
Head coach Todd Golden was effusive in his praise: “Really, really happy for [Klavžar]. Obviously, stepped up huge for us in conference play last year when we were dealing with some injuries… the Urban Klavžar you saw tonight is the guy that we know we have on our roster.”
Breaking Through from Deep
Perhaps most encouraging for Florida was their 3-point shooting. The Gators connected on 9-of-29 from beyond the arc—a season high for a team that entered the weekend ranked 354th in the country (out of 355 teams) in 3-point shooting at just 21%.
Weathering the Storm
Florida opened up a commanding 17-point lead in the second half, providing enough cushion to survive when both Condon and Chinyelu fouled out with over five minutes remaining. The situation was further complicated when backup center Micah Handlogten took a shot to the head in the first half and couldn’t return.
The Gators maintained control through physicality and effort, finishing with a 47-41 rebounding advantage and matching Miami’s 36 points in the paint.
Historical Significance
The victory improved Florida’s all-time record against Miami to 48-24, including a perfect 1-0 under Golden and 4-1 at neutral sites. The three-game winning streak represents the longest by either team in the series since Florida won 11 straight from 1965 to 1988.
It also marked the first time UF had four players score 15 or more points since last season’s SEC Tournament quarterfinal against Missouri.
Golden emphasized the quality of the opponent and what this victory means moving forward: “Good team in Miami. I told our guys in the locker room, this one will travel for us. I expect this to be a quad-2 level win at the end of the year, and always good to beat a rival.”
Now 3-1 on the season, the Gators will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup against Merrimack this Friday at 7 PM.