GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Alex Condon had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Rueben Chinyelu also notched a double-double and No. 12 Florida handled South Carolina for the second time in three weeks, 76-62 on Tuesday night.
Chinyelu finished with 15 points and 17 boards for his 16th double-double of the season. The Gators won their sixth consecutive game and improved to 11-1 since losing at Missouri to open Southeastern Conference play.
This one was much closer
than the previous meeting, a 47-point blowout in Columbia, South Carolina, in late January.
Still, the Gamecocks (11-14, 2-11 SEC) trailed by 10 points early and never mounted much of a threat in Gainesville, where Florida improved to 12-1 this season.
It was lopsided enough that 7-foot-9 walk-on center Olivier Rioux played the final minute after the home crowd chanted for him.
The best rebounding team in the country dominated inside, with Florida (20-6, 11-2) mounting a 47-30 rebounding advantage and outscoring South Carolina 44-28 in the paint.
Thomas Haugh added 10 points for Florida, which is trying to win the SEC’s regular season for the first time since 2014 and stay in the Sunshine State to open the NCAA Tournament in Tampa.
South Carolina leading scorer Meechie Johnson, who had 10 points in the first meeting, led the Gamecocks with 22 this time around.
Florida held a moment of silence before the game for Bill Donovan, the father of former Gators coach Billy Donovan who died Saturday following a heart attack. Florida’s court is named after Billy Donovan.
South Carolina hosts Mississippi State on Saturday.
Florida plays at Ole Miss on Saturday.
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