RALEIGH, N.C. — Florida’s March Madness run stayed alive Sunday afternoon with a dramatic close against defending national champion Connecticut.
The top-seeded Gators trailed for much of the second half but stormed ahead with a decisive 8-0 burst late in the game, ultimately securing a 77–75 victory.
After UConn’s Solo Ball tied the game at 64 with a three-pointer, Alex Condon hit a free throw to nudge Florida back in front. Senior All-American Walter Clayton Jr. followed with two free throws and then buried a three-pointer to stretch the lead to 70–64. Moments later, Condon missed a pair at the line, but Alijah Martin grabbed the rebound off the second miss and powered in a dunk to give Florida an eight-point cushion.
UConn kept the pressure on with late fouls, but Florida held firm to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.
Clayton once again delivered in crunch time, finishing with a game-high 23 points and hitting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. The win marked Florida’s eighth straight and snapped a five-game losing streak against the Huskies.
Clayton gave Florida its first lead of the second half with a three-pointer at the 2:54 mark, and Will Richard added a fastbreak bucket 24 seconds later to make it 64–61. After Ball’s deep three tied it again, Florida responded with the game-clinching run that sent Gator fans at Lenovo Center into celebration mode.
Florida shot 46% from the field (23-of-50), while UConn managed 38% (24-of-64). The Gators also outpaced the Huskies from long range, hitting 9-of-19 compared to UConn’s 8-of-29.
In addition to Clayton’s 23 points, Martin scored 18 and Richard added 15—13 of which came after halftime.
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points for the second consecutive game in the NCAA Tournament in Sunday's victory over UConn. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
What’s at Stake
Florida punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017, improving its NCAA Tournament record as a No. 1 seed to 12–1. This marks the program’s 12th appearance in the regional semifinals, including the 1987 run later vacated by the NCAA.
Player Focus
Same story, same star — Walter Clayton Jr. UConn’s defensive game plan centered on limiting Clayton’s perimeter looks, and it worked early. He was held to just 2-of-7 shooting and eight points in the first half. But when Florida needed a spark late, Clayton delivered, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes.
By the Numbers
Florida turned the ball over eight times in the first half, yet UConn failed to capitalize, scoring zero points off those miscues. At halftime, the teams were tied 31–31, with Florida leading 5–0 in points off turnovers. By game’s end, the Gators had outscored the Huskies 10–4 in that category, despite committing 12 turnovers to UConn’s six.
Next Matchup
Florida (32–4) will face the winner of No. 4-seed Maryland (26–8) vs. No. 12-seed Colorado State (26–9) in the Sweet 16. That game tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET on TBS in Seattle. Maryland advanced by defeating Grand Canyon, while Colorado State pulled off an upset over fifth-seeded Memphis. Florida holds a 2–2 all-time record against Maryland, last meeting in a 70–68 loss on December 12, 2021. The Gators have faced Colorado State once before, falling 68–46 in the 1989 NCAA Tournament.
Report contributions by senior writer Scott Carter. For more, contact Chris Harry.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
