Richard scores 20 points to lead Florida past Florida A&M 89-68

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Will Richard scored 20 points, Walter Clayton Jr. added 18 and Florida beat Florida A&M 89-68 on Tuesday night.

Richard shot 6 for 12 from the floor and 6 for 7 from the foul line. Clayton was 5-of-10 shooting and 7 for 8 from the foul line. Reserves Alex Condon and Denzel Aberdeen scored 17 points and 12 points, respectively.

Reserve Love Bettis scored 24 points shooting 9 for 15 and Shannon Grant scored 15 points shooting 7 for 10 for Florida A&M (0-3).

Richard's 3-pointer with 13:50 left in the first half put the Gators (2-1) ahead 9-7 and they led for the remainder. K’Jei Parker's jump shot with 6:49 before the break brought Florida A&M within 20-15, but Florida proceeded to outscore the Rattlers 18-13 and led 38-28 at halftime. Parker's jump shot two minutes into the second half made it 42-34 and represented the last time Florida A&M would get within single digits.

The Gators lead the series 13-0 in a matchup that dates to 1991. The two programs went 13 years without playing until the Rattlers visited Gainesville, Florida almost a year ago.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball