03/20/26 11:07:00
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03/20 23:05 CDT Florida begins title defense with 59-point rout of Prairie
View, 2nd-biggest margin in NCAA tourney
Florida begins title defense with 59-point rout of Prairie View, 2nd-biggest
margin in NCAA tourney
By FRED GOODALL
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) --- Florida began its national title defense with the
second-largest victory margin in NCAA Tournament history, pounding Prairie View
A&M 114-55 on Friday night.
Boogie Fland scored 16 points to lead seven players in double figures for the
top-seeded Gators (27-7), whose 59-point margin fell short of only Loyola
Chicago's 111-42 win over Tennessee Tech in 1963. Florida advanced to face the
South Region's No. 9 seed, Iowa, in the second round on Sunday.
Florida went on runs of 18-0 and 17-0 in the first half to turn a 15-all tie
into a 60-21 lead at the break. The Gators shot 75% before halftime and 64.3%
for the game against the 16th-seeded Panthers (19-18).
Late in the second half, 7-foot-9 freshman Olivier Rioux --- the world's
tallest teenager before he turned 20 last month --- got in on the action with a
putback dunk.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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