Walter Clayton Jr. takes a shot in the first half of Florida's NCAA Tournament first-round victory over Norfolk State on Friday night in Raleigh, N.C. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
RALEIGH, N.C. — Florida wasted no time making its presence felt in the NCAA Tournament. Just 31 seconds into the game, senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. drilled a deep three-pointer from near midcourt at Lenovo Center, setting the tone for a dominant performance.
The fourth-ranked Gators, top seed in the West Region, rolled to a 95–69 victory over No. 16 seed Norfolk State on Friday night. The win marked Florida’s seventh straight and its 25th double-digit victory of the season. It was also the program’s first NCAA Tournament win under head coach Todd Golden, who took over in 2022.
"We obviously played so well in the first 15 minutes of the game, but we relaxed a little bit," Golden told TNT postgame. "Still, really happy with the win. We've got to clean it up a little bit to get ready for Sunday. It's very unusual to be a No. 1 seed and not have an NCAA Tournament win under your belt."
Clayton continued his hot shooting throughout the opening stretch, including a four-point play that capped a 10–0 run and gave Florida a 13–2 lead less than five minutes in. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the first six minutes as the Gators surged ahead 19–5 and never looked back.
Florida’s largest lead of the first half came at 32 points, following two free throws by Rueben Chinyelu with 3:15 left before halftime. Norfolk State responded with an 11–0 run to close the half, trimming the deficit to 53–32.
Despite that late push, Florida remained in control. The Gators shot 50% from the field (18-of-36) and hit 7-of-19 from three-point range in the first half. Clayton led all scorers with 16 points at the break, while Norfolk State’s defensive adjustments—including a switch from zone to full-court press—failed to slow Florida’s momentum.
The Spartans closed the gap to 18 points in the second half, with Jaylani Darden hitting a jumper to make it 72–54 with 9:26 remaining. But Florida maintained its lead and closed out the game comfortably.
Four Gators finished in double figures: Alijah Martin scored 17, Thomas Haugh added 13, and Alex Condon contributed 12 points along with five rebounds and three assists.
Micah Handlogten goes up for a basket in Florida's rout of Norfolk State on Friday night. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
What It Signifies
Florida’s win boosted its all-time record as a No. 1 seed to 11–1 and improved its first-round NCAA Tournament mark to 17–6, excluding the vacated victories from 1987 and 1988 due to NCAA sanctions. The Gators joined fellow top SEC programs—Auburn (No. 1 seed), Alabama and Tennessee (both No. 2 seeds)—in advancing past the opening round.
Spotlight Performance
Walter Clayton Jr. gave a national audience a glimpse of why he became the first player in Florida history to earn first-team All-America honors. Fresh off his SEC Tournament MVP recognition, Clayton added another milestone by surpassing 2,000 career points with a drive to the basket early in the second half.
Stat to Remember
Florida’s 53-point first half set a new program record for NCAA Tournament play. In 66 tournament games, the Gators had never scored 50 or more in the opening half. The previous best was 48 points in a second-round win over Minnesota in 2013.
Next Challenge
Florida (31–4) awaits the winner of the bracket’s late matchup between No. 8 seed Connecticut (23–10), the reigning two-time national champions, and No. 9 seed Oklahoma (20–13). The Gators have dropped five straight games to UConn, a streak that began in 2013 and includes a loss in the 2014 Final Four. Florida defeated Oklahoma 85–63 earlier this season in a Southeastern Conference matchup at Gainesville on February 18.
Senior writer Scott Carter contributed to this report. Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu.
