What Happened
ATLANTA — Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 25 factors, together with 5 3-pointers, because the ninth-ranked Gators used a blistering second half on each ends to trounce Arizona State 83-66 of their assembly Saturday within the Holiday Hoopsgiving occasion at State Farm Arena. With the win, UF remained undefeated whereas additionally matching the second-best begin in this system’s 118-year historical past.
Clayton, the workforce’s main scorer coming in at 18.4 factors per sport, completed eight of 18 from the ground, together with 5-for-12 from the arc to affix Anthony Roberson (2005) as the one UF gamers within the 37-year historical past of the 3-point line to make at the least 5 in three straights video games. Senior guard Will Richard, taking part in about half-hour from his hometown of Fairburn, Ga., added 16 factors, whereas fifth-year guard Alijah Martin, the switch from Florida Atlantic, stuffed his stat line with the primary double-double as a Gator, ending with 15 factors, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
UF shot 47.8 for the sport, however it was the primary 14 minutes of the second half — when the Gators went on a 12-for-20 tear at one level to open a 29-point lead at 79-50 — that issues obtained ridiculously out of hand. When it was over, the Gators had their tenth double-digit margin of victory in as many video games this season.
Florida obtained off to a superb begin, hitting 10 of its first 20 field-goal makes an attempt to assist construct a 13-point lead, at 25-12, together with a sequence of 4 consecutive 3-pointers (two by Richard, one every by Clayton and Martin). The margin stood at 13 with slightly below three minutes left within the interval, however the Gators went scoreless the remainder of the best way and the Sun Devils scored two buckets to make it a nine-point margin, 41-32 on the break.
ASU, in its first yr as a member of the Big 12 Conference and winners of six straight, pulled inside eight early within the second half, however a Clayton 3 began a run of seven straight factors that finally turned a 23-7 run and a 24-point lead, as UF went on to shoot 52.9 p.c within the second half.
Defensively, the Gators restricted the Sun Devils to 37.1 p.c for the sport, simply seven of 25 from deep (28.0 p.c) and dominated the glass 47-27, with heart Rueben Chinyelu and ahead Alex Condon clearing eight boards a chunk.
What it Means
UF started the day with the nation’s 212th most tough schedule, so a second Quadrant 1 victory in as many probabilities (the highway win over Florida State, for now, is the opposite) makes for a pleasant plum so as to add to the slate, with a second Q1 alternative coming in three days (learn on). The Gators additionally started the day as one in all simply seven unbeaten groups in Division I, with 4 others taking part in Saturday, as effectively. The final time UF began a season with 10 wins was in 2005 en path to this system’s first NCAA title. The solely time earlier than that was to open the 1951-52 season.
In the Spotlight
Clayton is taking part in like That Dude.
Staggering Statistic
Arizona State, in shedding for simply the second time this season, began the day ranked nineteenth nationally in 3-point taking pictures at 39.5 for the season. UF held them practically 11 p.c under that quantity and to the second-worst long-range efficiency of the season.
Up Next
Florida (10-0) has two days to prep for Tuesday night time’s date in opposition to North Carolina (6-4) within the prestigious Jumpman Invitational at Charlotte, N.C. The Gators and Tar Heels will play for simply the seventh time — solely the third time within the final 60 years — and for the primary time since a gathering within the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis that UNC gained handily by a rating of 75-64.
Email senior author Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
