Florida Gators Pull Out Win Over Rival FSU, Stay Undefeated

FSU scared the Gators a bit late in the game, but they were able to put the game away to pick up a rivarly win

The Florida Gators pick up another win against Florida State / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gainesville, Fla. – The No. 20 Florida Gators men’s basketball team closed it out late over the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee on Friday, winning 87-74. 

Once again, it was the starting tandem of Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin who helped push the Gators over the finish line in this one. Clayton Jr. ended the game with 25 points, five rebounds and three assists. Martin finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists. 

This win also pushes the Gators' win streak over their rivals to four years running and keeps them undefeated on the season as they improve to 4-0. 

Gators Backcourt Leads the way in the First Half

This game didn’t start the way the Gators would have hoped offensively., only mustering up 11 points through nearly the first eight minutes of this game. 

However, things finally started to take a turn for the better around the 13-minute mark. After holding an 11-10 lead over the Seminoles, the Gators finally started to pour in the points. They went from this one-point lead to a 37-19 advantage over their opponents by the 5:38 mark thanks to a 26-9 run sparked by the Gators backcourt. 

On this run, Clayton Jr. added nine points while Martin scored six. These two were also helped by a range of other Gators as well. Five other players scored a basket for the Gators during this stretch. 

But it wasn’t just this offensive onslaught that helped break this game open for the Gators, the defense played their part as well. They made life difficult for their opponents and really didn’t surrender any easy looks. As a result, it led to an inefficient first half for Florida State.   

Despite shooting the ball well, especially from 3, to begin this rivalry game, the Seminoles' offense started to fall apart as the game went on. By halftime, the Seminoles were connecting on just 36.4 percent of their shots (12-33) and made only four of their nine free throw attempts. 

At halftime, the Gators starting guards Clayton Jr. and Martin helped set the pace offensively. Clayton Jr. already hit his season average, scoring 16 points and shooting 3-for-6 from deep. Martin entered halftime with eight points, one rebound, one assist and knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts. 

Seminoles make it scary, but Gators survive 

Just like the first half, the Gators came out of the gates very sluggish. They shot 2-for-8 in the first five minutes of this game and saw their 13-point halftime lead cut to just nine. 

Then from there, their lead became a seesaw. From around the 16-minute mark until the 10-minute mark, the Gators' lead was ranging from around nine to 11 points. 

The Gators did restore their 13-point advantage and even moved it to 15, but that wouldn’t hold for long. Through some poor turnovers and rushed shots from the Gators, the Seminoles clawed this one back to eight to keep it manageable for the final four minutes of the contest. 

But the Seminoles made it more than manageable over the next two minutes. They cut the Gators lead all the way down to just four with 2:21 left in the game and gave the Gators a real scare. 

Luckily for Florida, they closed this one out thanks to their backcourt duo. 

With the game in limbo and the Seminoles having all the momentum, Martin had the biggest play of the game. As the shot clock was expiring and the only option being a heavily contested 3, Martin banked in the dagger to put the Gators up nine with just 1:35 left. 

His running mate Clayton Jr. followed him up with five straight points to relieve the pressure on their backs and put the Gators in front by 14. Florida State would hit one more free throw before both teams stopped adding to their totals, putting the final score at 87-74 in favor of the Florida Gators. 

It was a nail biter for those cheering on the orange and blue late in this one, but nonetheless, the Gators came out victorious and extended their win streak over their rivals to four years consecutive. 

Up Next For the Gators

Florida will now return to Gainesville for their next two games on the schedule. They will begin with Florida A&M on Tuesday at 7 p.m. This game will be televised via SEC Network+. 

Then, following this game, the Gators will take on Southern Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. This matchup will be televised on SEC Network.