Florida Gators Dominate in NCAA Opener

0:00On March 21st, the top-seated Florida Gators kicked off the NCAA tournament with a blowout win over Prairie View A&M, finishing 100, 14-55 on Friday and Tampa. They shot over 60% from the field and nearly half from Breepoint Range, with 13 of their 14 players who saw action-putting. Points on the board, that sets them up against 9th-seated Iowa in the round of 32 on Sunday. Florida owned the paint completely, outscore in the Panthers 60-40-10 and grabbing 29 rebounds to their 13. Players like Rubin Cheneyelu, with his 14 points and 13 boards, plus Alex Condon and Thomas Howe in double figures, fueled an early run. That blew the game open by halftime. The Gators' defense was just as impressive, clamping down after an early tie at 15. The Prairie View made only two field goals in their next 19 tries, and their leading scorer, Dante Horn, managed just six points on one of nine. Shooting, Condon added three blocks to stifle any comeback hopes. On top of that, Florida played Smartball with only seven turnovers and 29 assists as a team.

1:08Howe dished out seven, while Condon, Xavier and Lee and Boogieflan each had five or more, keeping the offense flowing smoothly all game. With this statement win under their belt, the Gators looked prime to keep rolling deep into March Madness right here in Tampa.