No. 1 Florida absolutely locked down No. 14 Miami, snagging a 77-67 win in the only top 25 matchup on Monday’s college basketball opening day. The top-ranked Gators passed their first big test in convincing fashion, silencing a Miami team that gave them trouble last season at the exact same Tampa site where they saw a stunning early NCAA tournament exit. This is exactly the kind of stifling defensive performance you want to see from a team gunning for a national championship.
Haugh Came Back and Took Over
Miami actually jumped out early, taking a 17-15 lead in the game’s opening minutes. But Florida slammed the door shut with a quick 9-0 run, pushing it to 24-17. They never looked back from there, stretching the lead to 41-27 late in the first half. Even with Miami cutting the deficit to as close as three points early in the second half and mounting multiple runs late, Florida always had an answer, never relinquishing the lead. The big man, Thomas Haugh, who everyone thought was gone for the NBA Draft but came back, was electric! He paced the Gators with 19 points, pulled down 10 boards, and dished out 4 assists, hitting 4 of 8 from deep. The offense might not have been flawless across the board, but Haugh was clearly ready to play.
Defense Wins Championships, Apparently
But let’s be real, the real story here was the D. Florida’s defense was suffocating. Miami managed a pathetic 1-of-19 from the field during one brutal late second-half stretch. Overall, the Hurricanes shot a dismal 34.5% from the field (20 of 58) and only 25% from beyond the arc (4 of 16). Preseason first-team All-ACC selection Shelton Henderson was completely shut down, finishing with just seven points and eight rebounds on a shocking 2-of-13 shooting. When Florida needed a bucket to seal it, Haugh got one in transition off one of Miami’s many misses, making it 71-62, and that was that. Miami just couldn’t threaten them again.
This is a serious statement win for Florida. They’re the favorite to lock up their second national championship in three seasons, and kicking off the season with a dominant defensive performance against a top-15 squad that’s projected to challenge No. 2 Duke for ACC supremacy? That’s putting the entire league on notice. The Gators are for real, and they showed everyone why on opening day.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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