Tampa, Florida — The University of Florida started its defense of the NCAA men’s basketball title with a substantial win over Prairie View A&M on Friday, defeating them 114-55 with a 59-point margin, the second-largest victory margin in tournament history.
Boogie Fland scored 16 points, and seven players from the number one-ranked Florida team scored ten points or more, bringing the team's record to 27-7. This victory comes after Loyola Chicago's win of 111-42 over Tennessee Tech in 1963, which holds the record for the largest margin of victory in NCAA tournament history.
Florida will advance to face the number nine seed Iowa in the second round on Sunday. Florida’s 114 points is the highest scoring total in the NCAA tournament since Tennessee scored 121 points against Long Beach State in 2007, according to ESPN research.
Fland stated after the game: "I think we made a big statement. We watched some other 1-16 games. So I feel achieving this number was important and a big statement to the world for sure."
The Florida team dominated from the start, executing periods of pressure that included runs of 18-0 and 17-0 in the first half, transforming a tie of 15-15 into a 60-21 lead by halftime. The team shot 75% before the break and 64.3% for the game against Prairie View, who now holds a record of 19-18.
Newcomer Olivier Rioux, who stands 7 feet 9 inches tall and was considered the tallest teenager in the world until turning 20 last month, made his presence known by scoring a dunk following an offensive rebound in the second half.
Fland made all six of his shots, while Rueben Chinyelu added 14 points and 13 rebounds. The duo of Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon contributed to the frontcourt dominance with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Prairie View did not make a field goal inside the arc for the first nine minutes but maintained an early tie by hitting five of their first seven three-point attempts to tie it at 15-15. Chinyelu scored nine points during the subsequent 18-0 run, turning the game into a one-sided affair in front of a packed crowd in what felt like a local clash for Coach Todd Golden’s team, as the University of Florida is about a two-hour drive south of the venue.
Golden noted: "I think we had a 38-0 advantage in points in the paint during the first half. We weren’t taking steps back; we were getting good shots. I think we played with a clear purpose all night."
Prairie View reached the "March Madness" stage after finishing the previous season with a record of 5-27, qualifying by defeating Lehigh in the First Four game. ESPN research indicates that Prairie View has now suffered two of the three largest defeats in NCAA tournament history, following their loss to Kansas by 58 points in the 1998 round of 64.
Dontae Horne scored 12 points for the Southwestern Athletic Conference champions.
Prairie View A&M head coach Byron Smith remarked, "Tough game," adding that Florida's players were simply "bigger, faster, and more athletic." He added, "The size of Florida's players caused us problems. They shot at a high percentage. We fell behind early and were playing in chase mode for most of the time. That’s a tough approach."
This report was contributed by the Associated Press.