TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Walter Clayton was instrumental in the victory for No. 20 Florida, scoring 16 of his 25 points during the first half, leading the Gators to an 87-74 win over Florida State on Friday night.
The game marked Todd Golden’s first road outing as the head coach of Florida, following serious allegations of sexual harassment and stalking that emerged last week. Despite the circumstances, he was met with a chorus of boos from a packed Florida State student section.
In addition to Clayton’s impressive performance, Alijah Martin contributed 17 points along with five rebounds, while Alex Condon added seven points and 12 rebounds. With this victory, Florida has successfully secured their fourth consecutive win against their rivals from Florida State.
Florida State found themselves down by 15 points with under eight minutes remaining but managed to rally and trim the deficit to 77-73 with just 2:23 left on the clock. However, clutch 3-pointers from both Clayton and Martin helped the Gators maintain their lead and finish strong.
The Seminoles showcased their talent with Jamir Watkins leading the way, recording 19 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas found his rhythm in the second half, sinking three 3-pointers to finish the game with 11 points.
A few key observations from the matchup include Florida’s notable performance on the offensive boards, totaling 13 offensive rebounds and racking up 16 second-chance points. Conversely, Florida State managed to exert pressure, forcing 19 turnovers that resulted in 16 points, though it wasn’t enough for them to secure a win.
A crucial moment in the game came when Florida executed back-to-back 3-pointers during a decisive 14-2 run, skyrocketing their lead to 37-19 with 5:36 remaining in the first half.
A notable statistic for the Gators was their improved shooting from beyond the arc; after struggling with a mere 26% in their first three games, they found success with 7 of 15 (46.7%) from 3-point range in the first half, ending it with a 44-31 advantage.
Looking ahead, Florida will host Florida A&M on Tuesday, while Florida State will take on Hofstra on the same day.