No. 1 Florida Beats No. 14 Miami 77-67 as Haugh Posts 19 and 10

No. 1 Florida beat No. 14 Miami 77-67 on Monday night in Tampa. It was the season opener for both teams, played at Benchmark International Arena in the Orion180 Tipoff Classic, and it did not feel like a November exhibition of good manners.

Thomas Haugh led Florida with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. He scored 13 of his points in the first half. Boogie Fland added 12 points, four assists and four steals. Rueben Chinyelu grabbed 14 rebounds for the Gators.

Acaden Lewis, a Villanova transfer, scored a game high 24 points for Miami. He was the reason a game Florida controlled for most of the night stayed live into the final minute.

Florida led 46-36 at halftime. Miami opened the second half with a 10-2 run, switched to a zone defense and closed the gap to 48-46. Florida answered, rebuilt a double digit lead and closed the game at the line, with Alex Condon making two free throws with 55 seconds left for the final margin.

The numbers that decided it

Florida made 11 of 26 three pointers. Miami made 4 of 17. Florida scored 21 points off Miami's 11 turnovers, against 7 points the other way. The Gators won the rebounding battle 44-38 and recorded 17 assists.

The game also got physical. Each coaching staff took a technical foul, and three flagrant fouls were called, all of them involving Miami center Somto Cyril, according to Field Level Media.

Why it matters

Florida has now beaten its in-state rival four straight times, including last season's 82-68 win on November 16. The Gators left this building with a tournament loss to Iowa last March. They left it this time with a top 25 win and a first look at how their frontcourt handles a physical, ranked opponent. Miami, coached by former Florida guard Jai Lucas, lost the opener and gained a guard performance it can build around.

What happens next

Florida hosts Jacksonville on Thursday night in its home opener. Miami hosts Wagner on Friday night, November 6.

Miami's early punch

Miami started the game scoring on its first five possessions for an 11-8 lead, Field Level Media reported, before Florida's 9-0 run in the first half turned the night. Lewis finished with 24 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal in the Gators Wire account of the box score. Florida's answer was balance and pressure: four steals from Fland alone, a 21-7 edge in points off turnovers, and a frontcourt that produced Haugh's double double and Chinyelu's game high 14 rebounds on the same night.