FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Alijah Martin led the way for the eighth-ranked Florida Gators as they secured a 71-63 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday. Martin contributed 14 points, and he was well-supported by three other teammates who each added 12 points to the scoreboard, including Alex Condon, Will Richard, and Walton Clayton Jr. This win came on the heels of a dominant 73-43 triumph over the top-ranked Tennessee earlier in the week, improving the Gators’ overall record to 15-1 and giving them a 2-1 mark in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Conversely, Arkansas, which now stands at 11-5 and 0-3 in conference play, saw Adou Thiero score 17 points, with nine of those coming from the foul line. This result marks the second consecutive season that the Razorbacks have started their SEC campaign with three losses, and it is also the third time in four years that they have faced such a situation. The team’s new head coach, John Calipari, has begun his tenure in conference play with an unfortunate 0-3 record, an outcome not experienced since his first year as a college coach in 1988-89 at Massachusetts.
Defensively, Florida managed to limit Arkansas to a mere 30% shooting efficiency (18 of 60) and a disappointing 18.8% from beyond the arc, making only 3 of their 16 attempts. The Gators excelled in capitalizing on second-chance opportunities, racking up 19 points compared to just 6 for Arkansas. Additionally, Florida’s bench outperformed their rivals, scoring 19 points against Arkansas’s 7.
In terms of key developments during the game, Florida appeared to surge back with a decisive 7-0 run when Arkansas had narrowed the gap to just five points with about six minutes remaining on the clock. Statistically, while Arkansas managed to capitalize on free throws, outscoring Florida 24-13 from the line, the Gators’ overall dominance was clear particularly in their 15-point advantage from 3-point range.
Looking ahead, the Gators will make their way to Missouri for their next matchup on Tuesday, while the Razorbacks are set to visit LSU on the same day. Fans and analysts alike will be eager to see how both teams will respond moving forward in the challenging SEC landscape.
