JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. He scored 29 points, Will Richard added 25, and No. 21 Florida overcame a 13-point deficit to beat South Florida 98-83 in its season opener on Monday night.

Still coping with death Under the leadership of coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, the Bulls looked inspiring as they built a double-digit lead. They made six of their first 15 shots from three-point range and finished the game ahead 36-23.

Florida, meanwhile, missed 11 of its first 12 from behind the arc until Richard found the net. Richard’s eight-point shot in just over a minute made the game close. The Gators tightened up on defense and dominated inside in the second half. They used a 14-2 run to create some breathing room. Clayton and Richard played key roles in the decisive process.

Jamille Reynolds led the Bulls with 17 points and 6 rebounds.

takeaway

South Florida: A moment of silence was held at the arena for Abdur-Rahim, who died last month due to complications from surgery. USF players and coaches bore his initials on their jerseys. Florida honored Abdur-Rahim by wearing warm-up jerseys with his last name on the back.

Florida: Clayton and Richard passed NBA pre-draft testing before opting to return to the Gators and are now Todd Golden’s top coaches. They connected on 20 of 32 shots, including four of the team’s five 3-pointers.

key moment

The Gators appeared to be in trouble when center Alex Condon picked up his fourth foul with 11 minutes left in the game. But Thomas Haugh and Sam Alexis stepped in and went down.

Key statistics

Florida had seven players with at least four rebounds, with Richard, Haugh and Alijah Martin leading the way with six rebounds each.

next

South Florida plays at College of Charleston on Friday. Florida will host Jacksonville on Thursday.

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