Florida’s 2024-25 season has started off with seamless lopsided victories over its opponents by an average of roughly 21 points per game. However, the Gators had yet to be truly challenged until Tuesday night.
As UF trailed by four points against North Carolina with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, its undefeated record was on the line. That was, until senior guard Will Richard ripped down what may have been the most clutch rebound for the Gators thus far this season.
With less than two minutes left in the game and the score knotted at 84 apiece, fellow UF senior guard Alijah Martin pulled up for a midrange jumper that was off the mark. Richard took flight for an offensive rebound and finished a timely layup to give Florida its final (and most important) lead of the game.
In a fast-paced high-scoring affair, No. 7 Florida (11-0) came out alive as one of the only five unbeaten teams in the nation, securing a narrow 90-84 victory against Blue Blood North Carolina (6-5) in the Jumpman Invitational at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte Tuesday.
Entering the contest with the 162nd strength of schedule in the nation according to Kenpom, the Gators had their work cut out for them against a UNC team who boasted an unfamiliarly subpar 6-4 recond to start the 2024-25 season. The Tar Heels just may have been Florida’s biggest challenge to date so far this season.
Perhaps the biggest tasked UF faced ahead of its matchup against the Heels was the dynamic opposing backcourt. Senior guard RJ Davis and junior guard Seth Trimble have combined for 33 points per game this season.
The Gators seemed to have no answer for Davis. The reigning ACC Player of The Year finished with a game-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. Davis also made three 3-pointers and recorded eight rebounds.
While the game came down to the wire in its final moments, it seemed to be all Florida in the first half. North Carolina scored the opening field goal of the game to take a 2-0 lead before the Gators found their rhythm, largely due to a hot start from Richard. He scored nine of Florida’s 16 points just over five minutes into the game, with the third coming from the left corner as UF held a 16-9 lead with 13:44 remaining in the first half.
Richard’s hot hand extended to a 6-of-7 clip from the field, as the former Belmont transfer tallied a team-high 22 points with six rebounds on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from deep.
Florida’s lead grew as large as 17 in the first half with six minutes remaining following a second-chance driving layup by senior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who had a quiet night compared to the 19.1 points per game he’s recorded this season. The Lake Wales native posted 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists. He shot 4-of-15 from the field and just 1-of-7 from 3-point range.
Despite the 46-34 lead UF took into halftime, it wasn’t just Florida’s offensive performance that stuck out in the first half. The Gators out-rebounded the Tar Heels 25-21 and scored 22 points in the paint to UNC’s 14. Nevertheless, the tale of toughness in the latter half was vastly different.
North Carolina came out firing to start the second half, ripping off an 11-0 run over the first 2:25. Davis capped it off with a midrange jumper to cut Florida’s lead to just one point. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair with four lead changes and nearly three minutes of tied action.
The Gators’ offense wasn’t nearly as sharp in the second half, as UF shot just 12-of-31 from the field and 4-of-15 from deep. However, one of those four threes came at a much-needed moment from a Gator that Florida fans may not have expected.
The two squads traded buckets midway through the second half, but a 3-pointer from the left wing by junior guard Denzel Aberdeen gave the Gators a 63-57 lead and a bit of breathing room with 12:09 remaining in regulation. It was a quality performance by Aberdeen, who finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Despite Florida seemingly keeping UNC at bay as the game entered crunch time, the Tar Heels went on an 11-3 run powered by Davis and Trimble 72-68 lead with under eight minutes left in regulation.
Martin was critical in Florida’s late game efforts. The senior guard scored five straight points with under three minutes to play on a stepback 3-pointer from the right wing and two free throws that he calmly stepped to the charity stripe to knock down.
UF closed out the game on an 8-0 run thanks in part to some quality free-throw shooting down the stretch by Richard and sophomore forward Thomas Haugh, who combined to make four straight free throws in the final seven seconds of regulation to hold off the Heels.
Next, Florida will return to Gainesville to take on North Florida at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Saturday at 12 p.m.
Contact Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a junior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time.
