In an arena full of fans chomping and chanting “air ball” after Virginia missed, No. 13 Florida beat UVA Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The victory improved Florida’s undefeated record to 9-0.
The game started with the Cavaliers immediately scoring off the first possession, but the Gators quickly locked down their defense, forcing Virginia to make mistakes. The Gators capitalized on this, scoring 20 points off of Virginia’s 15 turnovers.
The Gators displayed their talent on offense as well, quickly overtaking the lead Virginia had in the beginning of the first half. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. was the leading scorer of the night, earning 27 points, five of which were 3-pointers.
Clayton Jr wasn’t the only player who had an impressive night for the Gators. Sophomore forward Alex Condon put up 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds, two steals and a block.
Senior guard Alijah Martin scored 16 points, had one offensive rebound and four defensive rebounds. Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen added 12 points, shooting 2-of-2 from 3-point range and hitting a slam dunk after a steal with three minutes left in the first half.
The Gators will look to continue their undefeated run when they play Arizona State on Dec. 14 in Athens, Georgia.
Contact Rae Weinstein at rweinstein@alligator.org
Rae Weinstein is a sophomore majoring in political science. Fall 2024 is her first semester with The Alligator as Cross County Reporter and in her free time she enjoys reading, watching the NY Mets and playing field hockey.
