Silence spread throughout the O’Connell Center.
Up 14-10 with just under nine minutes to play in the first half, the Gators needed a spark.
That much-needed energy came from a well-timed alley-oop between sophomore point guard Andrew Nembhard and freshman forward Omar Payne.
On the next possession, graduate transfer forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. added a dunk of his own.
Both slams helped ignite a 14-0 UF run that rejuvenated the offense.
That momentum helped carry the sixth-ranked Florida men’s basketball team into the second half and beyond, winning its season opener 74-59 over the North Florida Ospreys on Tuesday night.