You ever have one of those nights where everything just clicks? Where the rim looks like the size of a hula hoop and the other team looks like they're playing in quicksand? That was basically the vibe for Todd Golden's squad last night. If you’re looking for the score for gator game today, you actually missed a masterclass in Norman. Florida went into the Lloyd Noble Center and absolutely dismantled Oklahoma 96-79. It wasn't even as close as that 17-point margin suggests.
Honestly, the Gators are playing a different brand of basketball right now. After that weird, frustrating hiccup against Missouri to start the conference schedule, they’ve rattled off three straight wins. They didn't just beat Georgia and Tennessee; they bullied them. And last night, they took that lunch money mentality on the road.
The Big Men are Eating
Let's talk about Rueben Chinyelu for a second. The man is a walking double-double machine. He finished the night with 19 points and 12 rebounds, marking his ninth double-double of the season.
He’s 6-foot-10 and moves like a guy much smaller, but he has the strength of a literal ox. Oklahoma’s bigs, Mohamed Wague and Derrion Reid, were held to a combined six points. Six! Chinyelu was basically a brick wall in the paint. Florida outscored the Sooners 60-22 in the paint. That is a staggering statistic. It’s hard to lose a basketball game when you’re getting high-percentage dunks and layups while the other team is struggling to see the rim.
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Thomas Haugh was the other side of that coin. He led all scorers with 21 points. He was efficient, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and knocking down three triples. When Haugh is hitting from the outside, it opens up everything for the guards.
Breaking Down the Run
The game was actually competitive for about... four minutes. Oklahoma took a 7-6 lead early on a four-point play by Xzayvier Brown. That was the last time the home crowd had anything to cheer about. Florida responded with a 15-1 run that felt like a knockout punch in the first round of a heavyweight fight.
By halftime, it was 46-24.
The Sooners looked Shell-shocked. Nijel Pack, who usually lights it up for OU, was stuck on the bench with three fouls and finished with just five points. Credit the Gators' perimeter defense for that. They were sticky. They were annoying. They didn't give him an inch of breathing room.
Why the 3-Point Line is the Only Worry
If there’s a nit to pick—and coaches like Todd Golden always find one—it’s the perimeter shooting. Florida shot 54% from the floor but a pretty dismal 27% from three. Xaivian Lee went 0-of-6 from deep.
Luckily, it didn't matter last night because they were so dominant inside. But in the SEC, you can't live off dunks forever. Eventually, someone is going to pack the paint and dare them to shoot.
Urban Klavzar provided a nice spark off the bench with 13 points, and Boogie Fland did his thing with 15 points and 7 assists. Fland is becoming the glue. He doesn't need to score 30 to impact the game; his vision in transition is what's keeping this offense moving at a breakneck pace.
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Looking Ahead
So, where does this leave the Gators? They’re 12-5 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. More importantly, they’re finally proving they can win away from the O'Dome. This was their first true road win of the 2025-26 season, and it came against a high-major opponent that hadn't lost at home all year.
The "defending national champion" label carries a lot of weight, and after a shaky December, it feels like this team is finally finding its identity. They aren't just a finesse team anymore. They are big, they are mean, and they are deep.
If you’re tracking the score for gator game today, keep an eye on the AP Poll coming out next week. Florida was ranked No. 18/19 going into this one, but a blowout road win like this usually catches the voters' eyes.
Next Steps for Gator Fans:
- Watch the Replay: If you missed the first half, find the highlights. The defensive rotations in the first 10 minutes were a coaching clinic.
- Check the Schedule: The SEC gauntlet is just starting. The Gators have a massive home stretch coming up that will likely determine if they can grab a top-4 seed for the tournament in March.
- Monitor the Bench: Watch Urban Klavzar's minutes. If he continues to provide double-digit scoring off the bench, Florida becomes much harder to scout.
The Gators are for real. Again.