Records: Florida 7-0; Wake Forest 6-2
Next Up: Friday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Wichita State, ESPN Events Invitational Championship Game (Kissimmee, Fla.), ESPN
Notable
* Florida used a 10-0 run out of halftime – ignited by a pair of Walter Clayton Jr. 3-pointers – to build a double-digit lead, securing the win as Clayton’s 21 points led four scorers in double figures.
* When Wake Forest crept back within six, 50-44, Florida responded with a 9-0 run.
* Florida weathered a cold 2-for-12 start from the field. After falling behind 20-11, the Gators outscored Wake Forest 21-8 over the final 9:36 of the first half for an extended 31-8 stretch including UF’s 10-0 run out of the halftime break.
* Florida owned a +14 rebounding margin, 44-30, and limited Wake Forest to 3-for-20 shooting from 3-point range.
* Alijah Martin scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, while Will Richard added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals.
* Rueben Chinyelu pulled down a team-leading nine rebounds, while Alex Condon added eight boards to go with his 12 points.
* Florida has started a season 7-0 for the sixth time in program history and the first since 2012-13. All seven wins have been by a margin of at least 13 points, +19.9 on average.
* Clayton has now hit a 3-pointer in 30 straight games, the fifth-longest streak in UF history and the longest since Michael Frazier’s record 41-game streak (Jan. 2014-Jan. 2015).
* The Gators improve to 5-1 all-time on Thanksgiving Day.
Senior G Walter Clayton Jr.
On adjusting to the physicality of today’s game…
“I think that’s the first game we’ve had this year that the refs kind of let us play. Got over that and understood that the refs were going to let us play on both sides, got used to that and adjusted.”
On the defensive effort…
“That’s been a big emphasis for us this year, just being better defensively. Obviously, we had Alijah [Martin] come in this year, and he’s a great defender. He’s been setting the tone for us, so just getting everybody to play hard. We had great communication today, and I think that was a big part of it.”
Grad G Alijah Martin
On the physicality of the game…
“It was very physical. Wake Forest, they tried to get us out of our rhythm. We tried to get them out of their rhythm. That’s how it’s gotta be played when you get teams out of their rhythm – physicality.”
On the emphasis on defending Hunter Sallis…
“We knew he was their guy, and to win a game you’ve gotta take away their guy. That’s what we were focused on. We came up with different strategies, different coverages, stuff like that. We scouted him very heavy to not let him do what he wanted to do out there.”
