• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

No. 8 Florida routs Jackson State by 40

Nov 12, 2011 - 7:08 AM Gainesville, FL (Sports Network) - Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario both scored 19 points, and No. 8 Florida opened the 2011-12 season with a resounding 99-59 victory over Jackson State on Friday.

Freshman Bradley Beal, the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year, posted 14 points for Florida (1-0).

The Gators finished 29-8 last season and claimed their third outright SEC regular season title in school history. Florida fell one victory shy of the Final Four, losing to Butler in overtime in the Southeast Regional final.

Jenirro Bush totaled a game-high 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from three-point range for the Tigers (0-1), who are coming off a 17-15 season that ended with an overtime loss to Grambling State in the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament.

The Gators scored 18 of the game's first 21 points, then used a 23-0 run -- capped by a Rosario three-pointer -- to go up 41-8 with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half.

Florida led 59-23 at the break and continued to play at a high pace, opening the second half with a 15-0 surge. The outcome was never in doubt as the Gators won their 21st straight season opener -- 16th under head coach Billy Donovan.

"It was encouraging to see our guys come out of the locker room with a lead and handle it," Donovan said.

Game Notes

Patric Young recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win...The Gators scored 37 points off 24 Jackson State turnovers...Florida shot 51.3 percent and made 13-of-30 three-pointers...The Tigers were 16-of-47 from the floor...Florida won its only previous meeting with Jackson State by a 112-69 final in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament...The Gators are 5-0 all-time against SWAC teams.