Florida's 10-Rebound Lead Extends Miami's Rivalry Struggle to 77-67

Thomas Haugh collected 19 points and 10 rebounds to drive No. 1 Florida past No. 14 Miami 77-67 on Monday night at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa. The 6-foot-9 senior, who was named the preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, also recorded five offensive rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. He did not commit a turnover and made four of his eight attempts from beyond the arc.

The Gators had previously lost to Iowa at this venue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 22. Rueben Chinyelu supported Haugh with six points and 14 rebounds. For Miami, transfer Acaden Lewis from Villanova scored 24 points in his first game for the Hurricanes. The teams traded possessions early, with Florida taking control through a 9-0 run that established a lead the Gators held for the remainder of the contest.

Miami challenged in the second half, scoring the first eight points of the period to narrow the gap. Somto Cyril cut the deficit to 53-51 after a dunk following a missed free throw. Florida responded with defensive pressure, holding Miami scoreless from the field for five minutes. Urban Klavzar broke the streak with a three-pointer, extending the Florida lead to 66-55.

The game featured late-game adjustments that favored the home team. Isaiah Brown followed a Haugh miss with a putback dunk in the late first half to give Florida a 44-32 advantage. The Gators maintained their offensive rhythm, converting their lead into a comfortable final margin. Miami's shooting struggles and Florida's ability to protect the lead defined the second half.

In other season openers, No. 2 Duke defeated Army 84-50, with Dame Sarr scoring 16 and freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje adding 15 in his debut. No. 3 Illinois beat Fairleigh Dickinson 120-45, setting a program record with 19 three-pointers. No. 4 UConn defeated Gardner-Webb 86-46, extending its winning streak in season openers to 10.

No. 22 UCLA overcame a career-best 38-point performance from Ivan Kharchenkov to beat No. 5 Arizona 84-75 at T-Mobile Arena. Trent Perry led UCLA with 21 points. No. 7 Texas won 109-59 against Chicago State, with Matas Vokietaitis scoring 22 points on 9-for-9 shooting. No. 10 Houston, a local program, defeated La Salle 94-55 behind 16 points from Dedan Thomas Jr.