Florida Gators
%20(1).png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
North Florida
No. 1 Florida Gators Defeat North Florida, 86-40
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The No. 1 University of Florida men's basketball team (2-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) recorded its 13th-straight win at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Tuesday night with an 86-40 victory over intrastate opponent North Florida (0-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun). Juniors Al Horford (Puerto Plata, Domincan Republic) and Joakim Noah (New York, N.Y.) recorded a pair of double-doubles in the win, as Horford tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds for the 13th double-double of his career, while Noah notched his second of the season and ninth ever with 15 points and 10 boards.
The Orange and Blue jumped out to a dominating 38-20 first-half lead as Horford led the way by notching eight points in the opening six minutes. Following Horford's run, the Gators held the Ospreys scoreless for nearly seven minutes while going on a 14-0 run for a 24-7 lead with nine minutes to play. The two teams battled back-and-forth during the remainder of the half, and Florida posted 14 points to North Florida's 13.
Senior Lee Humphrey (Maryville, Tenn.) led the Gators into the second half as he recorded his first three-pointer of the season 10 seconds into the half. Humphrey added 10 points to the Florida attack in the second half, where it also posted a 10-0 run that lasted just over three minutes.
Florida finished the contest with 21-for-38 shooting from the field for 53.7 percent, while North Florida shot 6-for-21 to finish at 31.1. The Gators also committed just seven turnovers to their 21 assists in the game, and now have almost a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the first two games.
Horford and Noah accounted for over 60 percent of Florida's rebounds (21-of37), and sophomore Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) contributed a team-high four assists. Horford also contributed defensively with a game-high four blocks, and now has eight on the season.
In addition to Horford and Noah, junior Taurean Green (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and Humphrey scored in double figures with each scoring 12 points.
Rashad Williams led the Ospreys with a game-high 21 points, and Gallo Cham grabbed a team-high nine boards and led both teams with six assists.
The Gators allowed the Ospreys just one three pointer in the game, marking the second-lowest three-point total by an opponent under head coach Billy Donovan.
Florida will return to action Thursday night with a 7 p.m. contest against Jacksonville.
