Alex Condon scored a career-high 23 points while leading a hot shooting performance by No. 21 Florida in an 81-60 victory over Jacksonville on Thursday in Gainesville, Fla.
Alijah Martin tallied 15 points for the quick-starting Gators (2-0), who made their first eight shots of the game and their first five of the second half on their way to 52.6 percent marksmanship overall.
Condon, a sophomore, hit all seven of his attempts from the floor, including a pair of 3-point tries, as Florida won its 34th straight home opener.
Will Richard contributed 11 points and five rebounds and Sam Alexis added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench as the Gators improved to 33-5 all-time against Jacksonville.
Robert McCray V, the preseason player of the year in the Atlantic Sun Conference, scored 20 points to pace Jacksonville (1-1). Zach Bell added 11 points for the Dolphins, who committed 18 turnovers and shot 37.9 percent from the floor.
Despite the Gators’ hot shooting to start the game, the Dolphins took their lone lead at 12-10 on a jumper by Kendall Munson.
A basket by Bell less than seven minutes into the game tied it 19-19, but after that, it was all Florida as the Gators dominated in the open floor. For the game, they outscored the Dolphins 20-2 in transition.
Florida was up by six midway through the first half before Martin, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, heated up.
After banking in a 3-point shot that gave the Gators a 32-23 lead with 9:12 left in the half, Martin added two free throws, two more treys and a breakaway slam after making a steal. The splurge helped Florida to a 46-32 lead at the break.
The Gators continued to fill it up at the start of the second half. Condon made back-to-back layups and Richard followed with two inside hoops as Florida stretched its lead to 57-37.
The Gators got their biggest lead on Walter Clayton Jr.’s fastbreak slam with 2:32 left that made it 81-54. Clayton finished with nine points and seven assists.
–Field Level Media
