In desperate need of insurance points, UF sophomore forward Alex Condon sprinted to the top of the key while senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. drove to the basket with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
Condon, who entered shooting 40% from 3-point range this season (despite only attempting less than one per game), drained one from a distance that slammed the door shut on a Razorback comeback and silenced the rowdy crowd in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Road victories will be hard to capture in the SEC this season. But the No. 8 Gators (15-1, 2-1 SEC) battled through their lowest scoring game of the 2024-25 season to date to earn their first conference victory this season over Arkansas (11-5, 0-3 SEC) 71-63 at Bud Walton Arena Saturday.
By no means did anyone on Florida have a career day offensively, as the Gators instead relied on a more balanced scoring attack. Senior guard Alijah Martin led the way with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field, as well as four 3-pointers and four assists. Condon, Clayton Jr. and senior guard Will Richard followed through with 12 points each.
Florida was on upset watch in the opening minutes of regulation. Arkansas burst out to an early 12-2 lead,and the home crowd was in an absolute frenzy. An 0-for-6 start from 3-point range hindered the Gators in the scoring column until Martin drained a much-needed shot from deep that sparked a 7-0 run for UF and tied the game at 13 with 11:46 remaining in the first half.
Four straight points from Arkansas freshman guard Boogie Fland cut Florida’s lead to 21-20 with under six minutes left before halftime, but that was as close as the Razorbacks would get. The Gators never trailed from there.
Florida shot the ball much better in the second half, making 48% of their field goal attempts while shooting 5-of-12 from long range. UF used a strong rebounding performance to win the battle on the boards 49-39 while outscoring Arkansas 32-22 in the paint.
Late in the game, Condon single-handedly led Florida on a5-0 run with his aforementioned game-sealing 3-pointer and a driving layup to give the Gators a comfortable 70-58 advantage with 1:23 remaining in regulation, ending Arkansas’ chance at a massive upset.
UF’s offense has been explosive this season, averaging over 87 points per game, but it lacked its usual firepower against Arkansas. Florida shot under 40% from the field and 30% from the 3-point line, but its overall success was largely found on the defensive end.
For the second straight game, Florida’s defense answered the bell after giving up 108 points to then-No. 10 Kentucky on Jan. 4 to open conference play. UF held the Razorbacks to just 18-of-60 from the field (30%) and 3-of-16 (19%) from long range. However, the Gators had little answer for Arkansas junior forward Adou Thiero, who finished with a team-high 17 points.
The referees surely weren’t afraid to blow the whistle in this one. Arkansas attempted 35 free throws while Florida shot 20. Though, neither side shot 70% from the charity stripe, and the Gators made just three of their final six attempts. Nevertheless, Condon’s late offensive surge proved to be the difference for UF.
Next, Florida will return to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to put its undefeated home record in 2024-25 to the test. The Gators will host Missouri (13-3, 2-1 SEC) on Tuesday at the O’Dome at 9 p.m.
Contact Max Tucker at 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.
