No. 1 Florida Holds Off No. 14 Miami 77-67 in Tampa: Haugh's 19 and 10 Open the Gators' Season
The top-ranked Gators led by 10 at the half, watched Miami cut it to two, and then closed the door - 21 points off turnovers and 11 three-pointers in a physical in-state opener.
The No. 1 team in the country opened its season the way No. 1 teams are supposed to - eventually. Florida beat No. 14 Miami 77-67 on Monday night in Tampa, in the season opener for both programs, behind Thomas Haugh's 19 points and 10 rebounds on a night when the Gators had to win the same game twice.
The first win came early. Haugh scored 13 of his 19 in the first half - finishing with four assists and two steals to go with the double-double - and Florida took a 46-36 lead into halftime. Rueben Chinyelu owned the glass with 14 rebounds. Then Miami, behind Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis and his game-high 24 points in his Hurricanes debut, opened the second half on a 10-2 run and cut the lead to two.
Florida's answer was pressure and perimeter shooting: 21 points scored off Miami's 11 turnovers, 11 three-pointers in 26 attempts while the Hurricanes were held to 25 percent from deep, and a 44-38 edge on the boards. The Gators closed it out at the same Benchmark International Arena where their last visit ended in an NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa in March. Next: Florida hosts Jacksonville on Thursday night in Gainesville; Miami hosts Wagner on Friday. On a Monday night when Pensacola's own program scored 127 in its Division I debut, the state's top-ranked team took care of its own opening business 450 miles southeast.
