In the first-ever meeting between Quinnipiac men’s basketball and Florida, the Gators dominated the Bobcats 97-72 Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats had a rough game offensively, and at times went stretches without a field-goal attempt. 

The beginning of the game was close, as teams traded baskets before Florida’s junior guard Will Richard hit a three. This came directly after a missed layup from Quinnipiac graduate student guard Savion Lewis on the other end. Lewis finished with just four points. 

The Bobcats started the scoring with a three-pointer by graduate student guard Matt Balanc. Balanc was Quinnipiac’s leading scorer on the day, ending the game with 15 points. 

But Quinnipiac’s zone defense was no match for the Gators’ young, high-powered offense. Florida’s long-range shots kept on falling, as the hosts made nine shots from beyond the arc in just the first half alone, compared to Quinnipiac’s three. 

Florida took a 52-29 lead into the locker room after the first 20 minutes, shooting 50% from the field and from three. The Gators also ended the half on a 19-4 run, and things only unraveled further from there, with no sign of fatigue from their offense.

Richard had a great first half for Florida, putting up 15 points on 5-9 shooting. The Bobcats’ eight turnovers in the half didn’t help matters either, only propelling the Gators’ offense even further. 

Coming out into the second half, sophomore forward Amarri Tice made his mark, scoring the first eight points for the Bobcats to open the frame after a scoreless first half.

Things in the second half would only get tougher for the Bobcats, as the Gators cruised through the paint and made the plays they needed to make. The Bobcats’ defense had no answers, which was  evident with the Gators finishing the game shooting over 50%. 

Five Gators finished the game in double digits, most notably, senior forward Tyrese Samuel, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for the Gators. 

The game grew ugly for Quinnipiac, as the Gators continued hitting shots. The Bobcats’ 14 turnovers were costly, as the Gators scored 16 points off turnovers alone. 

Quinnipiac looks shake off the loss as it reenters MAAC play when it takes on Rider on Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Hamden.