What Happened
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Senior guard Will Richard poured in 21 points with five 3-pointers, while sophomore forward Alex Condon added 19 points and nine rebounds, as sixth-ranked Florida defeated Vanderbilt 86-75 on Tuesday night at Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center. The Gators earned the win despite standout guard and leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. being sidelined with an ankle injury.
With Clayton unavailable, UF turned to junior Denzel Aberdeen, who excelled in his first career start by scoring 13 points, handing out three assists, and committing no turnovers across a career-high 35 minutes. Florida finished with 20 assists overall, with five different players contributing at least three.
Trailing 36-35 at halftime, the Gators erupted in the second half, shooting 64 percent from the field and hitting seven of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. UF held a slim 57-54 lead when backup sophomore guard Urban Klavzar, playing his most meaningful minutes to date, drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to ignite his team and the home crowd, stretching the margin to nine. Following a Vanderbilt timeout, Florida forced a stop and Alijah Martin scored his first basket of the game to push the lead into double digits.
The Commodores managed to cut the deficit to seven at 72-65 with 4:22 remaining, but Florida responded with a decisive 7-0 run. Aberdeen sank two free throws, Martin threw down a baseline slam, and Richard capped it with a clutch 3-pointer. Richard finished the night shooting 8-for-11, including 5-for-7 from deep, while also grabbing seven rebounds in a career-high 39 minutes.
Vanderbilt shot 51 percent overall, but was outscored 51-39 in the second half as Florida’s offense surged, hitting 64 percent from the floor and seven of 11 from long range.
Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen, here during pre-game introductions, scored 13 points and dished three assists without a turnover over 35 minutes in his first career start.
What it Means
Defeating a strong Vanderbilt squad (a Quadrant 2 home win) without their top player should not be overlooked. At the midway point of the season, the Gators are tied with Texas A&M for fourth place in the SEC standings, with six other teams sitting just a game or a game and a half behind. The contributions from Denzel Aberdeen and Urban Klavzar could prove pivotal for their confidence — and the team’s — heading into the second half of league play.
In the Spotlight
Take a bow, Denzel. So composed.
Staggering Statistic
Urban Klavzar, the Slovenian guard who faced eligibility hurdles upon arriving on campus this summer and missed the first three games, entered this contest just three of 16 from beyond the arc and had not scored in only 5:40 of SEC action. His two 3-pointers delivered six crucial points in a span of 35 seconds, swinging momentum and helping to change the game.
Up Next
Florida (19-3, 6-3) now faces consecutive road tests against ranked opponents, beginning Saturday afternoon at No. 1 and unbeaten Auburn (20-1, 8-0). The Tigers, whose only loss this season came against No. 2 Duke, hosted Oklahoma later Tuesday. Auburn currently owns a two-game winning streak over the Gators in the arena Coach
Bruce Pearl has dubbed "The Jungle." Following that matchup, UF will travel next Tuesday night to face No. 22 Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5). Vanderbilt (16-6, 4-5) will host Texas on Saturday.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at
chrish@gators.ufl.edu
