Gators Men’s Basketball Team Takes Down FAMU, 89-68

The Florida Gators bounced back to beat Florida A&M 89-68 on Tuesday after their tough loss to Virginia.

Riley Kugel had a quiet night with four other players in double figures to help Florida overcome some poor shooting early in the game at the O’Connell Center.

Home W.#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/1ASlkH6nqY

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) November 15, 2023

Game Takeaways

During the first 20 minutes, Florida (2-1) shot 1 of 14 from the field for a 10-point lead. After a tough performance against Virginia, junior guard Will Richard scored 12 points in the first half.

In the second half, Denzel Aberdeen picked up the slack after being benched for a stretch in the first half and taking a shot to the eye in the first half. Aberdeen recorded a career-high 12 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes, going 5 of 10 from the field. As an alternate point guard for Walter Clayton Jr., Aberdeen ran the offense under control, turning the ball over only once.

Kugel struggled throughout this game. He scored just 5 points on 1-for-7 shooting against FAMU (0-3) after scoring 23 points in the opener and 17 against Virginia. As a result, it was his lowest-scoring game since last season’s contest against Tennessee.

With his 16 second-half points, freshman forward Alex Condon gave the team a lift following a scoreless first half.

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After scoring 16 points against Virginia, Richard led the team with 20 points for the second straight game. In addition to his 24-point outing at Georgia last season, this was his second 20-point game with the Gators.

With 12:08 left, Condon made a 3-pointer to give Florida a 62-42 lead. Within 7:53, he made another 3-pointer to make it 72-51. Six-foot-11 Condon made six of eight shots from the field, two of three from 3-point range, and three of four from the line.

Up Next

The Gators wrap up their two-game homestand Friday when they host Florida State (2-0) in a doubleheader with the women’s team. It will be a battle between the Florida Gators and Seminoles at 7 p.m. following the Florida women’s game against No. 12 Florida State at 4 p.m.