Walter Clayton Jr. and the Gators drove past Maryland in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night.
What Happened
SAN FRANCISCO — Once Florida cut down on its mistakes, the Gators took control and closed the door on Maryland Thursday night.
After committing 13 turnovers in the first half, Florida settled in after the break and pulled away for an 87-71 win over the Terrapins in the Sweet 16 at Chase Center. The top seed in the West Region, the Gators extended their winning streak to nine games and reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017.
Halftime saw Florida clinging to a 40-38 lead, but the second half was a different story. The Gators dominated the glass and limited themselves to just four turnovers. They finished with a 42-20 rebounding edge, led by Thomas Haugh with nine, Rueben Chinyelu with eight, and Alijah Martin with seven.
"That's who we are. That's our DNA," Gators coach Todd Golden told TBS. "That's part of what makes us so good."
The turning point came midway through the second half. After Maryland’s Derik Queen hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 61-54 with just over 11 minutes left, Florida responded with a 13-2 run that effectively sealed the outcome.
Depth proved decisive, as six Gators reached double figures and the bench outscored Maryland’s reserves 29-3. Will Richard paced the team with 15 points, followed by Martin with 14, Haugh and Walter Clayton Jr. with 13 apiece, Denzel Aberdeen with 12, and Chinyelu with 10.
The 87 points were the most allowed this season by Maryland, which entered the game ranked sixth nationally in defensive efficiency. Florida shot 50% overall (30-for-60) and connected on 11 of 28 from three-point range. Maryland finished at 41% (22-for-54) and just 6-for-19 from deep. Queen led all scorers with 27 points for the Terrapins.
Gators sophomore F/C Alex Condon scored four points in five minutes on the court before leaving with a sprained ankle in the first half. He returned after halftime to finish with six points, four rebounds and two assists. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
What it Means
Florida has now reached the Elite Eight for the 10th time in program history. The Gators also improved their all-time Sweet 16 record to 10-2, extending their winning streak in this round to nine straight, a run that began back in 1999.
In the Spotlight
The difference once again came from Florida’s depth. Maryland, whose starters accounted for 81 percent of the team’s minutes this season, couldn’t keep pace with the Gators’ rotation. Walter Clayton Jr. finished just 3-for-9 from the field and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc, but Denzel Aberdeen provided a spark after halftime, connecting on 5 of 7 shots, including 2 of 4 from three-point range.
Staggering Statistic
Turnovers nearly cost Florida early. The Gators have now committed 22 first-half turnovers across their last two games, including 13 against Maryland that led directly to 12 of the Terrapins’ 38 points before the break. Once Florida tightened up its ball security in the second half, the game swung decisively in their favor.
Up Next
Florida (33-4) advances to Saturday’s West Region final, where they will meet the winner of the Arkansas–Texas Tech matchup. No. 10 seed Arkansas (22-13) and No. 3 seed Texas Tech (27-8) are scheduled to tip off at approximately 10:09 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Senior writer Scott Carter contributed to this report. Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
