Florida Handles Dartmouth, but Todd Golden Wants More Than Just a Win
For 20 minutes on Monday night, Florida looked every bit the part of a team ready to roll into SEC play. The Gators came out with energy, purpose, and physicality, storming to a 26-point halftime lead over Dartmouth in their final non-conference tune-up. It was the kind of dominant start you expect from a power program facing a mid-major opponent.
But then came the second half-and a noticeable drop in intensity.
Florida still walked away with a 22-point win, but head coach Todd Golden wasn’t handing out gold stars afterward. Instead, he made it clear in his postgame remarks: this team has higher standards, and playing only 20 solid minutes isn’t going to cut it once the SEC gauntlet begins.
“We played really well to start the game, up 26 at halftime. I thought we had a really, really good first half,” Golden said.
“Played with great intent… dominated them on the glass… played with great purpose. But it’s difficult when you win by 22 and you’re disappointed when the game ends.”
That disappointment wasn’t about style points. It was about the kind of habits Florida needs to build if it wants to contend in a loaded conference. Golden praised Dartmouth for its second-half effort, but he also pointed to his own team’s lack of defensive urgency and physical edge after the break.
Let’s break it down.
In the first half, Florida owned the glass-15 offensive rebounds led to 13 second-chance points, while Dartmouth was held to zero in that category. The Gators didn’t shoot the ball well from beyond the arc (a familiar theme this season), but they didn’t need to. Their size and aggressiveness overwhelmed the Big Green, and they earned a whopping 26 free throw attempts to Dartmouth’s seven.
That kind of physical dominance was textbook Florida basketball under Golden.
But after halftime, the Gators took their foot off the gas. Dartmouth outscored Florida 45-41 in the second half, thanks in large part to a blistering 8-for-15 performance from three-point range. Florida’s defense didn’t make life tough enough-rotations were slower, closeouts weren’t sharp, and the physicality that defined the first half faded.
Golden didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I don't think we defended with enough tension in the second half. I didn't think we played with enough pace and enough physicality,” he said.
“That's the next step we keep talking about. We’ve got to play a full 40.”
And he’s right. In SEC play, you don’t get away with coasting through halves.
You don’t get to relax after a big lead. The margin for error shrinks, and the teams get tougher.
Golden knows that. His players know that.
And that’s why a 22-point win against a team ranked 251st in KenPom doesn’t feel like a celebration-it feels like a missed opportunity to sharpen the edge.
This isn’t about being negative. It’s about building a team that plays to its standard, not just the scoreboard.
Because if Florida wants to be cutting down nets again come April, it starts with finishing what they start.