Gators Dominate Colgate to Cap Off Nonconference Slate with Convincing Win
The Florida Gators didn’t just close out their pre-holiday schedule-they slammed the door shut. In their first-ever meeting with Colgate, Florida delivered a wire-to-wire performance that left no doubt, cruising to a 90-60 win in front of a home crowd at the O’Connell Center.
From the opening tip, the Gators looked locked in. Alex Condon set the tone early by drilling a three on the first possession, and although Colgate answered with a triple of their own, it didn’t take long for Florida to seize control.
A 10-0 run midway through the first half-highlighted by a baseline out-of-bounds three from Luka Klavzar-helped stretch the lead to double digits. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Florida had built a 43-31 advantage, with eight different Gators already in the scoring column.
Thomas Haugh led the way with nine points at the break, but the story was Florida’s dominance on the boards, where they held a 23-13 edge.
That rebounding advantage has been a season-long theme for this squad. Entering the game, Florida led the nation in rebounding margin at +14.5 and ranked second in both total rebounds and offensive boards per game. Against Colgate, they continued to flex that muscle, turning second-chance opportunities into momentum-swinging plays.
The second half was all Gators. A quick flurry from Xaivian Lee-a three-pointer followed by a fastbreak dunk-pushed the lead to 20 and forced a Colgate timeout with just under 14 minutes to play.
Condon added another three, and Rueben Chinyelu’s finish around the rim stretched the lead to 25. By the under-eight media timeout, the Gators were in complete command.
Chinyelu, who has been a rebounding machine all season, continued to make his presence felt. Averaging 10.7 boards per game, the big man is putting together a campaign that could land him in rare company-no Gator has averaged double-digit rebounds in a season in the last 50 years. His 21-rebound performance earlier this season tied the O’Dome record and was the most by a Florida player in over four decades.
As the clock wound down, freshman Olivier Rioux checked in with 1:29 left and the Gators up by 34, a fitting capstone to a dominant afternoon. Florida’s depth was once again on display-just like in their recent rout of St. Francis, where six players scored in double figures and eight hit a three, something that hadn’t happened in seven years.
Head coach Todd Golden continues to build momentum in Gainesville. With 83 wins now under his belt, he’s tied for eighth all-time in program history and is closing in on Tommy Bartlett for seventh. But beyond the milestones, it’s the way this team is playing-fast, physical, and unselfish-that’s turning heads.
Florida has now won 11 straight at home and 17 consecutive nonconference games in the O’Dome, their longest such streak since the Billy Donovan era. And with Xaivian Lee leading the team in scoring in four of the last five games-averaging 17 points and shooting 36% from deep-the Gators are finding a rhythm at the right time.
They’ll head into the holiday break with confidence, chemistry, and a clear identity. If this game was any indication, Florida looks ready to make some noise when SEC play begins.