GAINESVILLE, Florida — The Florida Gators bounced back from a season-opening loss to Arizona with a vengeance, delivering a dominant defensive performance and a standout game from All-America candidate Alex Condon, who was sorely missed in Monday night’s matchup in Las Vegas.
North Florida never really stood a chance as the Gators rolled to a commanding 104-64 victory on Thursday night, just days after dropping their 93-87 opener. Despite the lopsided score, national championship vibes were palpable at the O’Connell Center.
A packed crowd of 10,065 fans roared with excitement before tip-off as the school unveiled the 2025 championship banner, now proudly hanging in the rafters on the stadium’s east side.
Although the Gators had a clear talent advantage and the energy in the building was electric, North Florida fought hard early on. The teams traded the lead six times in the first five minutes before Florida steadily pulled away and locked down defensively.
The Ospreys struggled offensively, shooting just 31%, while the Gators shot an efficient 49% from the floor. With the win, Florida extended its home opener winning streak to 35 games, a streak dating back to a narrow 76-74 loss to Texas in 1990 during coach Lon Kruger’s first season.
Alex Condon led the charge with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds, marking his 10th career double-double. He also contributed four assists, three blocks, two steals, and committed just one turnover. This impressive performance was a sharp turnaround after his difficult game in Las Vegas, where against Arizona the 6-foot-11, 230-pound Australian and preseason AP first-team All-America managed only 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, recorded a career-high six turnovers, and was outmuscled by true freshman Koa Peat, who scored 30 points.
Backup center Micah Handlogten also made a strong impact, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double. Thomas Haugh added 12 points and eight rebounds as the Gators dominated the glass with a 64-24 rebounding advantage and outscored North Florida 66-22 in the paint.
Florida’s dominance inside was the key to the victory, but fans wanted to see the Gators go even bigger under the basket. With the game well in hand, the crowd began chanting for 7-foot-9 freshman Olivier Rioux.
Responding to the fans with the score at 102-61 and 2:09 remaining, coach Todd Golden put Rioux into the game, making him the tallest player to ever play in a college basketball game.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/06/florida-gators-mens-basketball-todd-golden-sec-north-florida-todd-golden-alex-condon-thomas-haugh-olivier-rioux/