'Us vs. Us': Gators Prove Capable of Competing With SEC’s Best in Upset Win

Walter Clayton Jr. expressed considerable confidence in the Gators’ capabilities following their impressive road win over the Kentucky Wildcats.

Wednesday's win broke a lot of troubling norms for the Gators.

For the first time since 2003, Florida defeated an AP Top 10 opponent on the road, using overtime to take down the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats, 94-91. It was the team's 12th-ever win inside Rupp Arena in Lexington and snapped a five-game skid in the series with the Cats.

The win also notched Florida's first Quadrant-I victory of the season, a metric used to determine NET rankings and, ultimately, a team's resume for March Madness, while extending its current winning streak to four games.

Simply put, the victory was a statement of Florida's upward trajectory under Todd Golden. But, inside the Gators' locker room, it was seemingly the expectation.

"I wouldn't say a program-maker," Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. stated following the contest when asked about the magnitude of the triumph. "It definitely helps, but me and the guys have been saying all year it's us versus us.

"We know what we're capable of, and tonight we came out and showed that."

Clayton led that effort. 

Accounting for 23 points, two rebounds, one block and one steal, the offseason Iona transfer struck when it mattered on multiple occasions.

No instance was more significant than his game-tying three at the end of regulation. Following a dish from point guard Zyon Pullin, Clayton forced Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard into the air before resetting himself to get up a clean shot from beyond the arc. 

It resulted in his sixth triple of the night, giving a Gators team that trailed by four with 18 seconds remaining five more minutes to pull off an improbable upset over the Wildcats.

WALTER CLAYTON JR. TIES IT UP FOR THE GATORS 🐊

OVERTIME IN LEXINGTON ⏲️

(via @SECNetwork) pic.twitter.com/F4JyaEO0k8

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 1, 2024

"No, not surprised at all," Clayton said when asked about the look he got on the quick wrap from the high corner to the left wing. "ZP does a great job attracting the defense. He's a threat, obviously, so he drove middle, I raised up to the left wing. Reed was a little far away from me, came and closed out, I pump faked and hit the shot." 

Clayton followed up the end-of-regulation long ball with another in overtime. 

Trailing by one while both teams struggled to score in the middle of the bonus period, Florida ran through its offensive set in the halfcourt.

He caught the ball on the opposite wing, working toward the lane before being forced to kick out to sophomore guard Riley Kugel. As Kugel jabbed, Clayton filled the open space in the near corner. Kugel dumped it off to Clayton as he set himself behind the three-point line, allowing him to rise up and find the bottom of the net from deep for the seventh time on the night, giving the Gators a two-point advantage with 1:42 remaining.

The Gators didn't look back, as Zyon Pullin and Clayton connected on five straight late-game free throws to effectively put the game on ice.

"Heck of a win for us," Golden said candidly postgame. "We've been knocking on the door for a win like this in our opportunities."

That, they have.

Three of their six losses have come in one-possession games in which Florida had an opportunity to extend or steal late but fell just short of doing so. They included three-point losses to Virginia and Baylor in the out-of-conference slate before a two-point loss to Kentucky during the first rendition of the two-game battle between the rivals in 2023-24.

Wednesday's contest was the first example of Florida getting over that hump.

It notched a resume-defining victory for UF as it vies for a coveted spot in the tournament over the next month. 

However, it isn't the end of the road.

Five of the 10 regular season games fall into the Quad I category, offering further opportunity to bolster its case for an at-large bid into the big dance. It's the next step Golden set out for the group this offseason as his rebuild of the program in Gainesville progresses.

"We can take that next step, which, to me, is making the NCAA Tournament," Golden told All Gators during an exclusive interview in September. "I would say that would be a good season."

The win over Kentucky serves as a potential launching point for the Gators — who sat firmly on the bubble prior to the upset victory — to realize those aspirations, a fact Golden and Co. are privy to.

Exclusive: Golden’s Gators Striving for ‘Next Step’ With Reconstructed Roster

Now, after securing a tangible example of its ability to conquer quality opponents, and even do so on the road, Florida will aim to compound momentum on Saturday as it heads to College Station for a matchup with Texas A&M.

The bout is the second of three straight Quad-I win opportunities for the Gators.

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