Record Night for Rueben Chinyelu as Florida Bigs Own the Paint

TAMPA — The No. 1 Gators men’s basketball team were fresh off a five-day break, but the extended rest did not stop Florida (27-7) from finding its groove in one of its most coveted aspects of its game — dominating down low. 

The Gators flexed their muscles from the jump in their 114-55 beatdown of No. 16 Prairie View A&M (19-17). They notched 64 paint points, amassing 56% of its chart-topping total. Florida set a new program record for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game.

“We are at our best when our identity is being a really greedy, defensive team that cleans up the glass and gets out in transition,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “When we do that, we’re going to be tough to beat and we were able to do that tonight.”

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The South Region’s top-seeded squad came into the Round of 64 averaging 43.6 points in the paint and nearly surpassed the total in the first 20 minutes of play. Florida went into the break hoisting 38 points down low to the Panthers’ zero.

“We did a really good job of limiting our turnovers and playing together and just making the simple plays,” Golden said. “We were getting good shots. I thought we played with great purpose all night.”

Junior Rueben Chinyelu played a massive role in the Gators’ elite outing. The center etched his name in the Florida history books — as he’s done multiple times this season. Chinyelu captured his 19th double-double of the year, breaking the program mark for most in a single season. 

“Moments like this fly by really quick, so just enjoy it,” Chinyelu said. 

The Nigeria native was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Award just hours before the game, earning recognition as a top-10 defender in the nation. Chinyelu closed out Saturday’s win with 14 points and 13 rebounds. 

“He did a really good job of controlling the paint and staying aggressive on the glass,” Golden said of Chinyelu. “He’s at his best when he’s playing that way.”

Chinyelu joined four other Gators in double-figure points, including forward Alex Condon.  The junior committed five turnovers in Florida’s SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Vanderbilt, but overcame the adversity faced in Nashville. Condon shot at a 83% clip versus Prairie View A&M, securing his 11th-consecutive contest with double-digit points. 

Condon was Florida’s largest rim protector against the Panthers, coming up with three blocks down low. Everything seemed to be going right for the Gators, and Condon and Co. continued to remain consistent throughout its performance. The Perth, Australia, native, coupled with Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh, contributed 41 of Florida’s total points while shooting 72%. 

The Gators also reeled in 54 rebounds in the win, including 29 in the second half. 

The Gators watched as No. 9 Iowa defeated No. 8 Clemson earlier in the afternoon, 67-61. Florida will square off against the Hawkeyes Sunday in the Round of 32.

Iowa allowed Clemson to notch 26 points in the paint, but out-rebounded the Tigers 40-27. As Prairie View A&M’s size hardly posed much of a threat, Florida will have a similar matchup against Iowa. 

Tavion Banks, the Hawkeyes’ 6-foot-7 guard, leads Iowa in rebounding with 4.7 per game. There will be a significant miss-match between the two programs, as Chinyelu averages just shy of 12 boards a night. 

“We played with great intent tonight,” Golden said 

The Gators entered Friday as a 35.5-point favorite, sporting the largest spread in an NCAA Tournament game in 27 years. Florida out-scored the Panthers by nearly double the spread in the paint alone.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball