In the matchup at Raleigh, North Carolina, the UConn Huskies displayed the resilience and strength that earned them consecutive national championships under coach Dan Hurley, outperforming top-seeded Florida for most of the NCAA Tournament’s second round.
However, the narrative shifted in the final moments when Walter Clayton Jr., an All-America guard for the Gators, took command. Scoring 13 of his 23 points in the closing eight minutes, Clayton’s performance, highlighted by two critical three-pointers, propelled Florida to a thrilling 77-75 comeback over UConn, which dashed the Huskies’ hopes for a third consecutive national title.
With this victory, Florida (32-4) returns to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. They will face either Colorado State or Maryland in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco. Florida’s coach, Todd Golden, emphasized the victory’s significance, stating, “This is a great win for our program. The time was now for us to take that next step. Again, Florida basketball, back where it belongs. Being in the Sweet 16 is a great step in the right direction. We made winning play after winning play down the stretch in the last six minutes.”
This impressive win was aided by some missteps from UConn, who uncharacteristically allowed Florida to secure offensive rebounds off missed free throws, leading to four vital second-chance points. As a No. 8 seed, UConn (24-11) had modest expectations going into the game but managed to lead for most of the second half. In the postgame news conference, an emotional Hurley struggled to hold back tears as he reflected on the team’s journey.
Hurley commented, “This was just historic run that these guys have been on and the guys that have worn the uniform the past couple years. If it’s going to come to an end for us, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be in a game where we lost to a lower seed. There’s some honor, I guess, in the way that this went down.” UConn aspired to be the first basketball team to secure a three-peat since UCLA’s historic run from 1967-73. In recent years, the Huskies clinched titles in both 2023 in Houston and the previous year in Glendale, Arizona.
Florida, favored by 9 1/2 points, was leading in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency rankings, making them a favorite to advance further in the tournament. However, UConn’s defense managed to contain Clayton and his team throughout most of the first 30 minutes, allowing them to hold a 52-46 lead. Despite UConn’s strong start, Florida’s resilience came through, led by Clayton, who demonstrated his skills as one of the top players nationwide.
Clayton’s crucial three-pointer in the final two minutes pushed Florida into the lead, and teammate Will Richard followed with a pivotal steal and dunk. The Gators expanded their lead to eight, cementing a 14-3 run that gave them command of the game. Despite UConn’s best efforts in the game’s dying moments, including a three-pointer from Liam McNeeley as the buzzer went off, Florida secured their win with Thomas Haugh’s free throws.
Clayton expressed gratitude to his teammates for their support during a challenging start. He stated, “We knew this game wasn’t going to be easy. (UConn) has got a championship pedigree, back-to-back champions. That’s a great team. They had that experience. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We kept our composure.” For UConn, Liam McNeeley stood out with 22 points, while Alex Karaban added 14. Florida also saw strong contributions from Alijah Martin, who scored 18 points, and Will Richard, who added 15.
In terms of future implications, UConn faces a major rebuilding challenge, having lost four starters to the NBA. Meanwhile, Florida is poised to capitalize on this momentum, with Coach Golden revitalizing the program in three years and now achieving his first March Madness victory.