No. 14 Miami had stretches where it looked ready to make this a real fight, but No. 1 Florida kept answering and walked out of Tampa with a 77-67 win in Monday night’s season opener.
The Hurricanes never fully disappeared from the game, but the margin came down to the same two problems over and over: missed shots and costly fouls. Miami shot 21 of 60 from the field and just 4 of 17 from 3-point range, while preseason all-ACC returners Shelton Henderson and Malik Reneau combined to go 3 for 20. Florida’s defense made life miserable around the rim and forced Miami into tough looks all night.
Acaden Lewis gave Miami a real spark. The Villanova transfer guard scored 24 points to lead all scorers and kept the Hurricanes within reach when the offense needed a jolt. On the other side, Thomas Haugh powered Florida with 19 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Gators a steady anchor on both ends.
Miami opened the night with an 11-8 lead, helped by Lewis attacking in isolation and getting buckets early. For a while, the teams traded punches and neither side could separate.
Then Florida found its opening. A 9-0 run, fueled by Miami turnovers and a couple of 3-pointers, pushed the Gators ahead 24-17 midway through the first half.
That stretch set the tone for the rest of the half. Florida kept cashing in on mistakes, and Miami had trouble getting clean looks inside.
The Gators built a 46-36 lead by halftime, helped by the Hurricanes’ foul trouble on defense. Five Miami players went into the break with two fouls, including Henderson and Reneau.
Haugh was especially dangerous before halftime, scoring 13 early points with three 3-pointers. Florida also turned Miami giveaways into points, finishing the first half with a 15-3 edge in points off turnovers.
Lewis had 12 points in the opening half for Miami.
The Hurricanes made their best push after the break. Georgia transfer center Somto Cyril gave Miami a lift with strong work around the rim, and the Canes trimmed the deficit to 53-51 after a pair of putback dunks. But Florida answered immediately with a 13-4 run to restore control and push the lead back into double digits.
Cyril looked solid in his first Miami start and finished with 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting, but foul trouble slowed him down in the second half. Miami’s turnover issues also kept dragging it back. The Hurricanes stayed within range for much of the final stretch, usually hanging around seven to 10 points down, but every time they threatened to close the gap, Florida had a response ready.
The second half turned chippy, with both teams reaching the double bonus and three flagrant fouls being called. Miami’s frustration fouls only made the climb steeper as Florida kept extending possessions and protecting the lead.
Even in defeat, Miami showed enough fight to suggest it can hang with top competition. The Hurricanes are 0-1 and will return to Coral Gables for their home opener against Wagner on Friday, Nov. 6.
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