GAINESVILLE, Fla. — This time, unlike 10 days ago in an eyesore of a loss to West Virginia, Todd Golden thought his Florida basketball team competed far better than it did against a talented and physical team. This time, though, it didn't matter.

That's how good fifth-ranked and unbeaten Connecticut was Wednesday night in completely dismantling the Florida Gators 79-54 at Exactech Arena.

Beastly 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward Adama Sanogo pounded his way to a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds, but it was a collective, impressive and utterly thorough domination by the Huskies (10-0) in all facets that was the story of a game in which they were never challenged after the first five minutes. Offensively, they shot nearly 52 percent, including 64 after halftime. They dominated the glass 42-28 and outscored the Gators (6-3) in the paint 40-22. Defensively, UConn limited the home team to just 30.2 percent for the game (16-for-53 from the floor) and just 26.7 percent (4-for-15) from the 3-point line.

"Offensively, we just weren't hitting shots. I mean, 16-for-53 is horrific," said fifth-year senior Colin Castleton, who at 6-11 still struggled against UConn's size and length in the post on the way to making just four of 14 field-goal attempts for 12 points and eight rebounds. "You've got to be able to make shots. That's basketball. You don't make shots, you'll lose the game. We also have to play defense. Both sides of the ball, we had poor performance."

The Huskies, conversely, were great on both ends. Freshman backup center Donovan Clingan hit eight of nine shots on his way to 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Guard Jordan Hawkins had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. UConn used an early run of nine straight points to take a 10-point lead that UF once cut to as few as seven, only to be hit with another run of eight straight to fall back by 15 against an opponent with no discernible weakness. When it was over the Huskies had a fifth straight victory over a high-major opponent, a 10th win in as many tries by double-digits and had handed the Gators their worst home loss since No. 8 Kentucky pounded Billy Donovan's third team 79-54 on Feb. 18, 1998. Nearly a quarter-century ago.

"This, obviously, is a really good opponent," said Golden, whose team already had been dealt losses by Florida Atlantic, Xavier and WVU, but went into the game understanding UConn might be the best team on the 2022-23 schedule. "We knew it was going to be a challenge."

It certainly was a challenge and the Gators did themselves no favors with their inability to put the ball in the basket. How bad was it? Will Richard, Trey Bonham, Kowacie Reeves and Kyle Lofton — the team's Nos. 2-5 top scorers — came in averaging a combined 43 points a game. They finished with 11 points on 2-for-19 shooting overall and one of nine from deep.

Richard, the transfer from Belmont and team leader in field-goal, 3-point and free-throw percentage, was held scoreless for only the second time in his 43-game career. Bonham went 0-for-7 from the floor. Lofton, the St. Bonaventure transfer back in the lineup after miss two games with back pain, failed to score for the first time in his 123-game career. Reeves was tops among the quartet with seven points.

"Against a team like UConn you just have to make some shots to give yourself a chance," Golden said. "Multiple guys on our team didn't."

Florida led 2-0 after a pair of Reeves free throws, then 5-4 after a 3-pointer by freshman Riley Kugel (career- and team-high 13 points) at the 16:44 mark. Kugel's shot was answered by 3 from guard Andre Jackson Jr., and that was it.

Less than five minutes later, the Gators trailed 16-6, as the Huskies took off on a 12-1 run during which UF missed eight consecutive shots and turned the ball over three times. UConn was up 22-15 when Hawkins was awarded three free throws on a foul by Richard atop the arc. Golden was furious, screaming at the officials that Hawkins caused the contact by kicking his leg into the defender, but to no avail. Hawkins sank all three free throws, taking the lead back to 10. The next two UF possessions were empty ones, while UConn's next two netted 3-pointer by Jackson and easy layup from Clingan to go up by 15 with four minutes to go before the break.

The Gators got no closer than 10 in the second half. Twice. Each time the Huskies countered with 3-pointers and were never threatened.

"As a basketball player, you know when you have to change something and we weren't quick enough to do that and that gave UConn the get-up they had," UF sophomore forward Alex Fudge said after equaling Kugel's team-high 13 points to go with five boards. "As a player, you have to work on that. You really don't have to work on it, you just have to do it."

Whatever that change is, the Gators better get to it.

"We have to come back with the right approach," Castleton said. "It's a super-long season, but we have to make some adjustments as players. Everybody. We have to come with the right mindset, move on from it, be positive. Even though it's a loss, it sucks, but we have to learn from it. Move on."

It's that simple. The schedule still lists at least 22 more games, with a bevy of excellent teams on the slate.

None, though, will be as good as UConn.

"They went on the road, came into this environment and laid it down on us," Castleton said. "We have to be able to respond."