Florida Basketball Looks to Rebound at Home Against FAMU

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team (1-1) will square off against Florida A&M (0-2) Tuesday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators are coming off of a narrow three-point loss to Virginia Friday night, but they are heavily favored in their matchup with the Rattlers.

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Recap Against UVA

Florida fell against Virginia 73-70 in a tightly contested game. The matchup took place in Charlotte as part of the Hall of Fame Series.

A major factor in the Gators’ loss was the team’s struggles shooting the ball. Florida shot 40% from the field and just 28% from beyond the arc. Despite the shooting struggles, UF managed to keep the game close throughout and had an overall positive performance on the defensive end. The team showed the ability to fight even with shots not falling.

Florida forward Tyrese Samuel and center Micah Handlogten both recorded double-doubles in the effort. The pair were very successful at attacking the paint and dominated Virginia on the boards. Handlogten led all players in the game with 14 rebounds and Samuel followed suit with 11 of his own.

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Looking Ahead

Heading into Tuesday’s game, Florida is looking to get back into the win column against an opponent it is expected to win against. In a tough SEC, every win prior to conference play is crucial for the Gators’ chances to make the NCAA Tournament.

A positive sign early on for UF has been the play of guard Riley Kugel. Kugel is coming off of a very respectable freshman season in which he averaged 9.9 points per game. Through two games this season, Kugel is averaging 20 points per game and is currently the team’s leading scorer. He has shown the ability to get to the rim when he wants to and has been a strong anchor in a Gators offense in need of a shot-maker.

It’s Riley Kugel’s year pic.twitter.com/x5BulPWbjP

— Barstool Florida (@UFBarstool) November 7, 2023

Following this matchup with the Rattlers, the Gators will take on rival Florida State Friday. The Gators emerged victorious when the teams met last season and will look to replicate that performance at home.