FINAL: No. 18 Florida 96, Oklahoma 79

What Happened

NORMAN, Okla. – Junior wing Thomas Haugh led all scorers with 21 points and junior center Rueben Chinyelu posted his ninth double-double of the season, as the 18th-ranked Florida Gators crushed Oklahoma 96-79 in front a half-empty Noble Center in their Southeastern Conference game Tuesday night.

Haugh went eight of 13 from the floor, three of five from the 3-point line and also grabbed eight rebounds. Chinyelu, the league's rebound leader, did more beastly things on the way to 19 points and 12 boards. Sophomore point guard Boogie Fland had his second straight complete floor game of 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals, with backup guard Urban Klavzar reaching double-figure scoring for a third straight game with 13 points, including three 3s.

In winning their third in a row (and sixth of seven), the Gators shot 53.5% for the game, punishing the Sooners 60-22 in paint points, and defended at 43.3%, despite allowing OU to hit 10 of 16 from the 3-point arc (62.5%). UF won the battle of the boards by a 43-31 count, including 17-11 on the offensive end leading to 22 second-chance points.

Florida led 20-14 inside 10 minutes to go when Fland scored five consecutive points, including a 3-ball, that initiated a 15-1 run that also featured an old-time 3-point play by Chinyelu and conventional one by Haugh. The Gators' six-point lead was quickly a 20-point margin and the Sooners were in big trouble after giving up 30 paint points through 20 minutes.

UF swelled the lead to as high as 29 early in the second half, until OU got red-hot from the 3-point line, starting eight of nine, to cut the lead to few as 15 inside the final two minutes, but the game was never close. Sooners guard Xzayvier Brown led all scorers with 24 points.

UF guard **Boogie Fland** (0) finishes a run-out in the Gators' run-up of the Sooners.

Turning Point

Take your pick. Besides the aforementioned 15-1 run, then it was the 9-1 just-for-good-measure spree that ended the half and gave the Gators a 26-10 advantage over the final 9:37 of the period.

Staggering Statistic

OU came into the game shooting 58.2% from the 2-point area for the season, which ranked 38th in the country. The Gators held the Sooners to 36.4%.

Up Next

Florida (12-5, 3-1) is back on the SEC road Saturday to face No. 8 and unbeaten Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0) in what may be as tough as any game the Gators have played this season (and that's saying something, obviously). If the Commodores can win Wednesday night at Texas they'll be off to the best start in program history, a mark they equaled last weekend. The Sooners (11-6, 1-3), losers of three straight, are home against Alabama.

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.

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