GAINESVILLE — Alex Condon scored a career-high 23 points, Alijah Martin added 15 and No. 21 Florida beat Jacksonville 81-60 in its home opener Thursday night.
Will Richard chipped in 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals for the Gators (2-0), who hit 21 of their first 30 shots and built a 20-point lead early in the second half. Florida cooled off down the stretch but were still too much for the Dolphins (1-1) on both ends of the floor.
High-scoring No. 21 Gators assume defensive posture to take next step under Todd Golden
With the victory, Florida extended its winning streak in home openers to 34. The program’s last loss in a home opener was against Texas in 1990.
Robert McCray, who averaged a team-leading 18.4 points a game last season, set the pace for Jacksonville with 20 points.
Takeaways
Jacksonville: Coach Jordan Mincy returned to Gainesville for the first time since leaving former Gators coach Mike White’s staff in 2021.
Florida: The Gators have a few legitimate scoring options after Condon’s 23 points on Thursday and Walter Clayton Jr. 29 points in the team’s season opener against USF.
Key moment
The Gators used a 15-4 run midway through the first half to begin their rout. Martin scored 8 points in the run, including hitting two 3s.
Key stat
Clayton finished with 7 assists and 1 turnover, a solid ratio for a shooting guard making the transition to the point.
Up next …
Florida vs. Grambling
When: 7, Monday, O’Connell Center
TV: ESPN+
