For the first time since 2019, one of college sports’ most iconic rivalries has returned to the hardwood.

The defending National Champion #10 Florida Gators hosted their cross-state foe Miami Hurricanes in a highly anticipated non-conference game, hosted at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. All-time, the Gators have controlled the rivalry in men’s basketball, as Florida holds a 47-24 record against the ‘Canes.

Throughout the night the Gators did what they do best, and that’s stifle their opponents inside the paint. Florida’s big man trio of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Reuben Chinyelu were suffocating on the interior, swatting balls forcing Miami to push from beyond the arc. After 36 minutes on the night, Haugh once again showcased that he’s the main engine and fuel that can propel Florida back to a deep March push. Thomas Haugh would finish the night with 17 Points (5/9 FG, 3/6 3PT), 8 Rebounds and 3 Assists.

As for Miami- their first true test of the season didn’t go the exact way they planned. While the ‘Canes spent the overwhelming majority of the night trailing the Gators, they didn’t appear discombobulated on the court. With that being said, a 34% shooting night from the field and a 28% night from deep is never a way to keep up with the defending National Champs. Miami was led by a 22 Point, 11 Rebound night from F Malik Reneau, supplemented by a 16 point night from G Tru Washington.

One of the biggest keys to Miami’s success this season has came in way of their set of bigs. Reneau has showcased the ability to take over a game, and is nicely complimented by the presence of 6 foot 11 Ernest Udeh. While Reneau’s 22 point night certainly stands out on the stat sheet, when you take a closer look you’ll see he was 8/23 from the field. Pair that with Udeh’s 1/4 on the night and that once circles back to the praises Florida’s front court has earned defensively.

Following the game, Florida Head Coach Todd Golden spoke about the defensive keys for the matchup, which included the need to snuff the bigs from the U:

“That was obviously a huge emphasis. Reneau is a really talented scorer, Udeh’s a good rebounder. Rim finisher, doesn’t get a touch a lot in their offense, but you got to account for him on the glass.” Coach Golden said. “Reneau was the main cover. He’s the guy that they play off of, he’s the guy they throw the ball to every time. I thought Reuben did a fantastic on him all night… We held him to 22 points on 23 shots with no assists and 3 turnovers. I think that was a huge key to our ability to be successful tonight.”

Later on, Miami Head Coach Jai Lucas would give his stance on the slow night from his bigs:

“This was a good lesson for us, a good test… You don’t see size like that everywhere, even in the ACC. I thought we were getting where we needed to be, we just didn’t finish.” Coach Lucas stated. “I told my team I think we have a chance to be really good, but I have to get them to play with that confidence, and play with that edge the whole time. This lesson will help with that…We can’t let the moments get us away from that.”

The Florida Gators now improve to 3-1 on the season. Their next opponent will be back in home gym, as the Gators prepare to face Merrimack on Friday Nov. 21. Tip off is slated for 7PM.

Miami falls to 3-1 on the season. The Hurricanes will host Elon on Thursday, November 20. Tip off is slated for 7PM.