In a thrilling NCAA Tournament second-round matchup in Raleigh, NC, number one seed in the West bracket Florida (32-4) secured their spot in the Sweet 16 with a gutsy 77-75 victory over eight seed and defending champion UConn (24-11), showcasing resilience and clutch performance down the stretch.
The Gators, who have been red-hot with eight straight wins and victories in 14 of their last 15 games, found themselves trailing by six points with nine minutes remaining. Led by Walter Clayton Jr.’s heroic performance, Florida mounted a fierce comeback, outscoring the Huskies 31-23 in the final stretch.
Clayton Jr., who finished with a game-high 23 points, saved his best for last, scoring 13 points in those crucial final nine minutes. When asked about his late-game heroics, Clayton remained humble: “At the end, my teammate was trusting me with the ball in my hand to be able to shoot that shot, so I appreciate them for that trust and just sticking with it.” He acknowledged the challenge of facing the defending champions, adding, “We knew this game wasn’t going to be easy. They’ve got a championship pedigree, back-to-back champions.”
The victory wasn’t just about individual performances. Will Richard contributed 13 of his 15 points in the second half, while Alijah Martin set the tone early with 14 first-half points on efficient 6-for-9 shooting. The team’s defensive effort in the closing minutes proved crucial, with improved communication leading to crucial stops.
Clayton Jr., who has been exceptional throughout the postseason, shooting 51.2% from three-point range in his five games spanning the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, maintained his composure despite early struggles. “I knew they were kind of denying me a little bit, but I done see that before. I think it was kind more of a me thing,” he reflected. “My teammates did a great job throughout the game, kind of picking up where I was slacking.”
Despite facing adversity, including 12 turnovers and allowing 14 UConn offensive rebounds, Florida showcased their shooting prowess, outperforming UConn from both the field (46% to 37.5%) and three-point range (47.4% to 27.6%).
“This is a great win for our program. The time was now for us to take that next step. Florida basketball is back where it belongs,” declared Coach Golden in his opening statement. The victory marks Florida’s return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017, snapping UConn’s impressive 13-game NCAA Tournament winning streak in the process.
The win was particularly meaningful for the players, as Will Richard expressed: “This is why everybody came here. We wanted to bring Florida back to that national stage and that relevance. For us, it means a lot, just playing for that logo and for the guys that came before us.”
Coach Golden praised Clayton’s resilience: “What makes Walter so special is his ability to stay even keeled regardless of how he’s doing… His confidence level never wavers regardless of what’s going on and hitting huge shots that allowed us to capitalize and win the game.”
Florida’s journey continues as they head to San Francisco for their Sweet 16 matchup on Thursday, March 27, where they’ll face either Maryland or Colorado State.
Support Gators Breakdown and get your Florida Gators NCAA Tournament merch at Fanatics
0 Comments