2 weeks Ago By By MARK LONG - AP Sports Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Alijah Martin had a season-high 32 points with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals, and No. 21 Florida beat Southern Illinois 93-68 on Friday night to extend its home winning streak to 12.
Martin went 11 of 19, including 8 of 13 from 3-point range, and drained four consecutive shots from behind the arc midway through the second half. His career high is 34 points back when he played for Florida Atlantic. The Gators (6-0) made a season-high 16 shots from 3-point range, their third consecutive game with double-digit treys.
Thomas Haugh added a career-high 19 points to go with seven boards for Florida, which is off to its best start since 2021. Florida’s Todd Golden coached while the university investigates sexual harassment and stalking allegations. Ali Dibba led the Salukis (2-3) with 17 points, and Jarrett Hensley added 14.
Southern Illinois: The Salukis played Charleston and Oklahoma State tough this month and looked like they might be in position to exceed expectations under first-year coach Scott Nagy, who won his share of games at Wright State and South Dakota State. Florida: The Gators played their most complete game of the young season, leading by 21 at halftime and 30 midway through the second. The Gators started slowly before using a 16-0 run over a three-minute span in the first half to build a 35-15 lead.
Martin came up huge during the stretch with a dunk, a driving layup and then his second 3 of the night. Florida's 16 3-pointers are the program's most since hitting 18 against Texas A&M in 2019. Southern Illinois plays Louisiana Tech in Estero, Florida, on Monday, and Florida plays Wake Forest in Kissimmee, Florida, on Thanksgiving.
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