FINAL: No. 21 Florida 98, South Florida 83

What Happened

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida senior guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard combined for 54 points, including 33 after halftime, and the 21st-ranked Gators shook off a cold-shooting start and an inspired South Florida squad en route to a 98-83 victory in the season opener for both teams Monday night at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

Clayton, a preseason All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection and All-America candidate, finished with 29 on 10-for-15 shooting, and was perfect in seven attempts at the free-throw line over 34 minutes. Richard, who along with Clayton make up the two returning starters from last year's 24-win NCAA Tournament team, poured in a career-high 25 and grabbed four rebounds in his 36 minutes. Fifth-year guard Alijah Martin did not shoot the ball well in his UF debut, but the Florida Atlantic transfer stuffed his stat line with 13 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Sophomore forward Alex Condon added 13 points and five boards.

The game was played just 11 days after Bulls coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, 43, died during a surgical procedure, shocking the Tampa and USF communities. UF wore warm-up T-shirts with Abdur-Rahim's name on the back and the Bulls wore patches with his initials.

USF came out inspired, rushing to a 13-point first-half lead by shooting 61 percent through the game's first 14 minutes, including six made field goals in a row at one point. UF, though, took off on a run of 10 straight points over less than three minutes, the last seven coming from Richard. USF missed eight of its final nine shots of the period and Richard's step-back jumper at the first-half buzzer sent the Gators to the locker room down just 40-39.

Over the first nearly eight minutes of the second half, there were eight lead changes and three ties before a jump hook by UF backup forward Sam Alexis started a 10-2 run that pushed the Gators out to a seven-point lead, 69-62, inside eight minutes to go, forcing a Bulls' timeout. That run into a 17-2 spree, with the Bulls missing six straight field goals (and eight of nine) that put the game away.

Florida shot 52 percent for the game, including nearly 59 in the second half on the way to 59 points, despite struggling at just five of 25 from the 3-point line. The Gators helped make up for their long-ball struggles by going 23-for-29 from the free-throw line. Clayton was 6-for-7 from the floor in the period and 7-for-7 from the line. South Florida shot 42 percent for the game and hung around by nailing 13 of 27 from deep (48 percent). The Bulls were led by 17 points from center Jamille Reynolds.

Senior guard **Will Richard** (5) erased his previous career-high of 24 points, with his 25 Monday on 10-for-17 shooting from the floor.

What it Means

A 33rd victory over the last 34 season openers, dating to 1991. Over that span, the Gators are 6-1 in openers away from home, with three of those victories in Jacksonville.

In the Spotlight

USF interim coach Ben Fletcher, who was elevated from his associate head coach post following Abdur-Rahim's passing, obviously had a deft hand in guiding the Bulls through the tragic and heart-felt circumstances of the last 11 days.

Staggering Statistic

The Gators shooting just 20 percent from the arc, but were 28 of 38 from the 2-point area. That's 73.7 percent.

Up Next

Seventy-two hours after opening the season in Jacksonville, the Gators (1-0) OR (0-1) will play Jacksonville, as in the across-town JU Dolphins (1-0), in the home opener Thursday night at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. The Dolphins, coached by former UF assistant Jordan Mincey, opened their season earlier Monday with a 78-65 home win over Trinity Baptist College, out a National Christian College Athletic Association program also in Jacksonville.

Email Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu

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