GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Power forward Alex Condon did it all as No. 1 Florida cruised past Jacksonville as the Gators senior joined some elite company.
Condon finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three blocked shots during a 88-57 win Thursday night in the O’Connell Center as the Gators won their 36th consecutive home opener.
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The 6-foot-11 Aussie became the first SEC player to post a double-double with at least seven assists and three blocks since LSU All-American and fellow countrymen Ben Simmons did it against North Florida in December 2015.
“That’s pretty cool,” Condon said. “He’s obviously a very inspiring player.”
Condon fell two assists shy of his first career triple-double, something only accomplished by three Gators — Corey Brewer, Nick Calathes and Chris Chiozza.
“He was zipping the ball around the floor. He had some really, really fantastic assists, and was finishing — making his free throws,” coach Todd Golden said. “He’s playing the right way.”
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Condon was among five Gators in double figures, led by center Rueben Chinyelu’s 21 points. Chinleyu was 7 of 9 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-10, 265-pound senior also chipped in seven rebounds while producing a career-high in points.
“It’s just coming out there doing what I have been doing and working on — just trusting that process,” said Chinyelu, a career 61.8% free-throw shooter.
Star forward Thomas Haugh continued to deliver an all-around floor game. He finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a steal and just one turnover after the preseason first-team All-American had 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals during Monday’s night’s 77-67 win against No. 14 Miami in Tampa.
“He’s obviously playing with a high level of confidence right now,” Golden said.
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Shooting guard Denzel Aberdeen had 12 points on four 3-pointers. Sixth man Urban Klavzar also had 12 points, with three 3s as as the Gators made 11 of 25 from 3-point range.
“It’s a big part of what we need to be the best team we can be,” Golden said, a season after the Gators shot 30.1% —the lowest mark in program history.
When he wasn’t in the game, Condon wore an electrical stimulation belt around his lower back, but nothing slowed him down — certainly not Jacksonville (1-1).
Coached by former Florida assistant Jordan Mincy, who worked under former coach Mike White, the outmanned Dolphins stayed within striking distance much of the first half.
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With the game tied 8-8 early on, the Gators built a double-digit lead, at 22-12, as five different players scored. Jacksonville, a 30.5-point underdog, cut into the lead, twice whittling it to five points, but could not get closer.
A 3-pointer by Aberdeen made it 37-26. A Haugh 3-pointer followed, and the rout soon was on.
“I don’t think we were playing up to our standard,” Condon said. “That was a big momentum swing in the game. We kind of just you know blew it open a bit.”
The Gators head to Florida State on Tuesday looking for their sixth straight win in the series, the past five under Golden, after losing eight straight to Seminoles.
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“I just talked to the guys about what Tuesday night’s going to be. We’re going into enemy territory as the No. 1 team in America,” Golden said. “We’re gonna get their best shot, and they’re gonna be well prepared. We have to bring our best effort. But it’s definitely one that we’re looking forward to.”
