AUBURN, Ala. — The Florida Gators, ranked sixth, made a notable mark in their program’s history with an impressive win over the top-ranked Auburn Tigers on Saturday. This victory, which ended in a score of 90-81, was significant not just because of the margin but also because it marked the Gators’ first victory against a No. 1 team in an away game. Earlier this season, Florida had already accomplished the feat of defeating a top-ranked opponent when they triumphed over then-No. 1 Tennessee with a dominant score of 73-43 on January 7.
This win also handed Auburn (21-2, 9-1 Southeastern Conference) its first home loss of the season and its initial setback in SEC play. Before Saturday, Florida (20-3, 7-3) had faced seven defeats during previous road games against top-ranked teams. Florida head coach Todd Golden expressed pride in his team’s performance, noting the challenge of playing at what he described as “probably the toughest place to play in America” against the nation’s best team. He credited his squad with exhibiting mental and physical toughness throughout the entire game.
The Gators managed to pull off this victory despite being without their second leading scorer, Alijah Martin, who was sidelined due to a hip injury. In his absence, Florida relied heavily on their leading scorer, Walter Clayton Jr. He played all 40 minutes of the game and contributed significantly with 19 points and nine assists, especially after his return from an ankle injury that kept him out of a prior game against Vanderbilt. Golden was determined to maximize Clayton’s impact, stating, “I looked over at him and said I was going to run him for all 40 minutes,” to which Clayton readily agreed.
The game began with Auburn quickly establishing a 10-point lead within the first six minutes. However, Florida completely turned the momentum by dominating the rest of the first half, outscoring the Tigers 43-23. They continued their dominance into the second half, scoring 20 of the first 29 points. Auburn’s head coach Bruce Pearl candidly admitted, “They just came in here like they had to win it. That’s how they played their possessions. And they played harder.” He reflected on his team’s lack of preparation and performance, stating they did not resemble the top team in the nation during this matchup.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Auburn had not allowed more than 70 points at home this season, but Florida reached that scoring threshold with over 12 minutes remaining. Clayton remarked on the challenge of securing a victory on the road in the SEC, especially against a highly-ranked opponent like Auburn, acknowledging their team’s preparation and execution as crucial to their success.
Auburn’s frontcourt, led by fifth-year senior Johni Broome, was expected to be challenging, and although he performed respectably with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, he struggled with his accuracy, making only 8 of 19 shots. Golden praised his team’s effective defense, particularly their ability to handle Broome’s left-hand dominance. For Florida, Alex Condon provided a solid contribution with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Thomas Haugh added depth off the bench with 16 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
Offensively, Florida’s coordination was exemplary, posting 22 assists on 31 made field goals, marking their highest assist total in SEC action this season, significantly surpassing their average of 13.9 per game. Notably, Auburn had never allowed that many assists in a single game before, with the previous record held by Purdue at only 13.
Florida’s ability from beyond the arc was also impressive, with the team sinking 13 three-pointers, the best performance for them in SEC play this year. Urban Klavzar had an outstanding game coming off the bench, successfully making all three of his three-point attempts. “It was the way they played out of the ball screen and shared the ball and spaced out,” Pearl remarked, emphasizing Florida’s successful shooting performance and depth of play.
