TAMPA — The Florida Gators opened their NCAA Tournament run in dominant fashion, defeating the Prairie View A&M Panthers 114-55 in a first-round blowout that showcased the defending national champions’ depth and offensive firepower. The victory marked Prairie View’s third appearance in the tournament, as the Panthers remain in search of their first trip to the second round.
“We weren’t settling, we were getting good shots. I thought we played with purpose all night,” said head coach Todd Golden following the game. The Gators shot over 64 percent from the field, dished out 29 assists and turned the ball over just seven times in the comprehensive victory. Seven Gators scored in double figures, led by sophomore point guard Boogie Fland’s 16 points.
Despite the lopsided final score, the game didn’t start that way as Prairie View came out hot, knocking down five of its first seven shots from three-point range to tie the game at 15. “We didn’t do a good job the first few minutes guarding the 3 point line,” Golden said. The Gators held a slim two-point lead at the first timeout, but that’s when everything changed as Florida exploded on an 18-0 run, its second-longest scoring burst of the season.
Golden’s team dominated inside, outscoring Prairie View A&M 38-0 in the paint during the first half and taking a 60-21 lead into the break. The 39-point advantage marked Florida’s highest-scoring first half of the season and one of the largest halftime leads in NCAA Tournament history. Florida carried that momentum into the second half, continuing to pour it on offensively while Golden turned to his bench to give reserves valuable tournament experience.
Junior center Rueben Chinyelu made history in the process, recording his 19th double-double of the season to break a 50-year-old program record. He finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the dominant performance. “Coming out there I did whatever it took to keep us going - rebounding defensively, offensively, touching all aspects, getting my team together. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy playing with these guys,” said Chinyelu.
With the outcome well in hand, Golden turned to his bench, giving Cooper Josefsberg, CJ Ingram, Alex Lloyd and 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux their NCAA Tournament debuts. Rioux became the tallest player to ever appear in an NCAA Tournament game, adding another historic element to Florida’s commanding victory. None of the Gators’ starters played more than 25 minutes in the blowout win.
Two years ago, the Gators were eliminated in a heartbreaking 102-100 loss to Colorado in the first round. Last season, Florida defeated Norfolk State 95-69 to begin a run that ended in a national championship. This year, the three-time national champions are aiming to reach that same destination, and they set the tone against the Panthers with their most complete performance of the tournament.
Florida will face Iowa on Sunday at 7:10 p.m. in the second round, marking the first meeting between the programs. A win would send the Gators to their second consecutive Sweet 16 and the 12th in program history as they continue their quest to repeat as national champions.