ChompTalk.com

The Florida Gators are now 6-1 after winning their fifth straight contest on Monday. Florida came out hot, grabbed a big lead, and refused to relinquish control of the game, cruising past Taleton State 84-52 at Exactech Arena.

The Gators outscored the Texans in each quarter of play, including a 21-6 advantage in the opening ten minutes. Florida scored the first 15 points of the contest before allowing Tarleton State to get on the scoreboard.

The Gators also dominated the third period of action and put up 13 points in the first three minutes of the second half. In all, Florida scored 29 points in the third quarter.

The Gators have won five of their first six to start a season for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Florida is also 5-0 at home for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

The Gators were paced by Lavender Briggs, who finished with 20 points, and Kiki Smith, who added 13. Nine different players tallied six points or more. Sophomore guard Nina Rickards pulled down a career high 17 rebounds for the Gators.

UF Team Stats:

• FG% – 49% (34-70)
• 3FG% – 32% (6-19)
• FT% – 77% (10-13)
• Rebounds – 53
• O Rebounds – 17
• Reb Margin – +25
• Assists – 15
• Steals – 9
• Turnovers – 14

Player Stats:

• Briggs: 20 P, 3 R, 2 A
• Smith: 13 P, 5 R, 5 A
• Rickards: 9 P, 17 R, 11 OR
• Toonders: 8 P, 5 R

Of Note:

The Gators observed a moment of silence for men’s basketball player Keyontae Johnson. Johnson collapsed on the court during Saturday’s game at Florida State. He was in critical but stable condition with the latest update. The men’s and women’s teams share a practice facility and freshman Jordyn Merritt is dating Johnson. Merritt finished the game with six points.

What’s Next:

Florida will complete it’s non-confernce schedule with a home date against North Florida on Dec. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM. The Ospreys are 2-3 this season and are currently coming off a 93-35 win over Edward Waters College. UNF will face Auburn prior to the game at Florida.