GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 2 Florida continued their impressive run in SEC play with a dominant 85-63 victory over Oklahoma, extending their winning streak to five games.
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Walter Clayton Jr. led the charge with 18 points, spearheading a balanced offensive attack that saw five Gators reach double figures. Will Richard and Alijah Martin each contributed 14 points, while Rueben Chinyelu added 11 and Urban Klavžar notched a career-high 10 points. This marked the fourth consecutive game with five double-figure scorers, a feat not accomplished by the program since Billy Donovan’s hiring in 1996.
The Gators’ offense caught fire in the first half, connecting on six consecutive three-pointers during a decisive 17-3 run that helped build a 20-point advantage. Florida’s sharp-shooting continued their recent trend, as they’ve now hit double-digit three-pointers in five straight games while shooting 42% from beyond the arc during this stretch.
The team’s three-point success isn’t by accident. As Clayton Jr. explained, “Everybody just consistently in the gym, in their own time. When you walk into the gym and you see a guy hitting eight, nine threes in a row whenever they work out, it puts confidence in you to have confidence in them to be able to shoot the ball. We’ve all got confidence in each other”.
“I thought we did a really good job of being pretty systematic with our effort tonight,” said head coach Todd Golden. “After the first four minutes I thought we played really well, sharing the ball, shot the ball really well in the first half, defended at a very good level”.
The Gators’ ball security was particularly impressive, matching a season-low with just six turnovers. They went the first 16 minutes without committing a single turnover and had just one in the opening half. Graduate guard Alijah Martin attributed this to the team’s growing chemistry, noting, “It means we’re getting better. We’re getting better reads, we’re on a better page with each other, and that we’re just doing what we have to do to win”.
The team’s depth was once agin on full display, with several players stepping up in different roles. Will Richard, who has shown versatility by playing the four position due to injuries, emphasized his team-first mentality: “I’m a versatile player and I’m willing to do anything to win the game. So, if that means I’m playing the four, getting in there and rebounding, I’m going to do it. I just want to win games”.
Martin highlighted the importance of the team’s depth, particularly looking ahead: “To be great in March, you’ve got to have a deep roster. We’re pretty deep, in the bigs and in the guards, and we’re all pretty confident in each other”.
The victory marked Florida’s 18th win by double digits this season, their highest total since the 2013-14 campaign. With the win, the Gators improved to 23-3 overall and 10-3 in SEC play, while Oklahoma fell to 16-10 and 3-10 in conference action.
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