Condon Uses Another Second Half Spark for Another Double-Double

Florida Gators forward Alex Condon scored 11 points with 12 rebounds for his third double-double in four games.

Jan 18, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) dunks the ball over Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators big man Alex Condon has been dominant since the beginning of SEC play. After posting another double-double against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, Condon now has three of them in five SEC games. 

In Florida’s 84-60 win over Texas, Condon ended with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He had three assists, four steals and one block as well. His rebound and steal total led all players in the matchup.

While the his stats looked strong at the final buzzer, it took a while for Condon to truly get going offensively. He scored all of his points in the second half instead of spacing them throughout the full 40 minutes. 

Although his head coach didn’t sound too worried with how things looked in the first half, especially considering eight of his 12 rebounds came in the first 20 minutes of action. 

“He didn't score in the first half, but he was playing really hard, and he was doing what we needed him to do,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “He was playing really hard, playing really well, just missed some shots that he normally doesn't. And I think everything evened out for him that way in the second half.”

Condon himself emphasized Florida's focus on rebounding rather than focus on his missed shots after a shocking one-point loss at home to Missouri earlier in the week.

"We lost the rebounds by a lot against Missouri and it was an emphasis for the bigs at least," he said after the win. "We thought we could beat these guys on the rebounds with our physicality and that was really my mindset today. And, yeah, just the guards pushing in it transition, I think it was a key for us as well. Just getting it out in transition in the second half."

Furthermore, his coach loved the way he attacked during the game in all phases.

“But again, he finished with 11 and 12, four steals, had another incredible block,” Golden continued. “...And when he plays with that edge and that fire, he's really, really hard to keep up with."

This isn’t the first time Condon has done this, though.

Two games ago, he used a second half scoring outburst to log his most-recent double-double. In the Gators' win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, Condon had zero points going into the locker room after the first 20 minutes. He would then go on to score 12 second half points alongside 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

With this most recent line, the big man is now averaging 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game through five SEC games. For the season, he sits at 10.8 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game. 

It’s evident that Condon’s play has been instrumental in the Gators success this season and he’s even taken a step up since Florida’s SEC gauntlet has started.