Sunday seemingly could have been a trap game for Florida against a Group of 5 opponent that had only notched two wins on the season. But the Gators hardly treated it as one.
From start to finish (despite a mere one minute of trailing in the early going), the Gators continued to show the college basketball world why they could be a problem for opposing teams as SEC play begins in less than a week following their 12th win this season by a double-digit margin.
Behind a lethal scoring effort from its backcourt, the No. 6 Florida men’s basketball team (13-0) defeated Stetson (2-11) 85-45 in its non-conference finale in front of a sold-out Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
UF’s trio of starting guards have been pivotal for its No. 6 offensive rating in the nation, according to KenPom. This proved to be no different when the Gators took on the Hatters. Senior guards Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin combined for 47 of Florida’s 85 points.
Martin led the way with a game-high 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field (despite a shakey 2-of-9 outing from 3-point range) alongside three rebounds and two assists. However, it wasn’t just Martin’s scoring that stood out. The FAU transfer also provided a solid defensive presence, coming away with four steals and one block.
Clayton Jr. and Richard rounded out UF’s offense with a combined 29 points, 17 of which came from Richard. Richard tallied a pair of highlight-reel-worthy dunks over the head of his defender while also recording four assists and two steals.
As good as Florida’s starting backcourt was against Stetson, the reserves also had a performance to remember. The Gators’ bench combined for 34 points, with junior guard Denzel Aberdeen pacing their scoring with nine points (all in the second half) on 4-of-5 shooting.
Junior forward Thomas Haugh also provided a spark with seven points and made both of his free-throw attempts, which has been a massive improvement for Haugh. Haugh has shot over 80% from the charity stripe this season after shooting under 50% last year.
Defensively, UF’s size, length and athleticism proved to be too much for Stetson to handle. The Gators forced 15 turnovers (and committed 13) while holding the Hatters to 18-of-68 shooting from the field (26%) and 3-of-24 from 3-point range (13%). Florida consistently jumped Stetson’s passing lanes and relentlessly contested shots at the rim en route to 12 steals and seven blocks.
The Gators trailed 3-2 roughly two minutes into the game. From there, it was all Florida. UF broke out on a 15-2 run in under 6 minutes amid a 1-of-11 shooting skid from the Hatters, eventually taking a commanding 17-5 lead with 12:32 remaining in the first half.
Stetson answered with an 8-0 run with under four minutes remaining before halftime, capped off by junior guard Mehki Ellison banking in a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut Florida’s lead to 33-22. But it proved to be too little, too late, as the Gators jumped back out to a 46-27 lead at the break.
From there, UF remained in control, out-scoring the Hatters 39-18 in the second half en route to 11 Gators finishing with their names in the scoring column. With the victory firmly in hand, UF head coach Todd Golden turned to sophomore guards Kajus Kublickas and Urban Klavzar alongside freshman guard Isaiah Brown off the bench, who in turn combined for 14 points.
The 2024-25 campaign will soon become vastly more serious for Florida. The Gators will open SEC play on the road against No. 10 Kentucky at Rupp Arena before returning to the O’Dome to take on the No. 1 team in the nation in Tennessee. Tip-off between UF and UK is set for Saturday at noon EST.
Contact Max Tucker @mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a senior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose to 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.
