Florida basketball traveled to Tallahassee on Friday evening to take on their in-state rivals, the Florida State Seminoles. The Gators came away with an 87-74 victory after leading most of the way, giving Todd Golden’s team a 4-0 start to the 2024-25 campaign.
Walter Clayton Jr. led all scorers with 25 points on an 8-for-15 effort from the field, including a 4-for-10 tally from beyond the arc; he also finished with five free throws in as many attempts. Two other Gators — Alijah Martin (17) and Same Alexis (12) — also scored in double figures while nine total team members made the scoring sheet.
Following the big rivalry win Golden spoke with the sports media. Here s what he had to offer.
Handling FSU’s full-court press
“You know, I honestly thought we handled the press well. It was more the halfcourt pressure that we had issues with. And, you know, we did a good job staying organized. I think we only had like one or two turnovers in regards to them trying to keep us from getting the ball inbounds.
“But, you know, we had lapses, you know, I thought early in the game we struggled, which can happen especially the first time you play a team like Florida State with their athleticism, their length, their quickness.
“Middle of the first half, I thought we were really, really good. We got up 18 points, and a big part of that was just taking care of the basketball. We had eight turnovers at halftime. We got 11 in the second half. And if the end of that game would have gone differently, that would have been the issue. That would have been what we pointed at and said, ‘This is what cost us the game.’
“We had some guys step up and made some big shots late, kind of saved us, but we obviously, we have to do a much better job taking care of the ball, especially as we will see more teams that guard like this when we get into SEC play.”
On winning rebounding battle on both ends
Can Gators shoot better from long-range?
“Yeah. I mean, obviously we shot it really well in the first half. In the second half, we regressed. We’re only 23%, only three makes. But, you know, I do think to Florida State’s credit, they did a good job of slowing us down in the second half and really kind of getting the momentum of the game shifted.
“They were playing downhill. We were kind of playing on our heels a little bit, but again, you know, we just dug in and found a way, especially in those last four minutes. Tommy’s free throws were huge, and then those two threes from Alijah and Walt back-to-back were the separators.”
On Sam Alexis’s performance off the bench
“Sam’s really good. You know, he’s coming on for us. You know, he’s a guy that’s a young junior. He just turned 20 years old. His best basketball is in front of him, but I think you’re seeing a guy that is really comfortable out there. You know, his field goal percentage is insane.
“He was five for six again tonight. Did a good job, to your point, defensively moving his feet. Good job on the glass, and, you know, he had some minutes in that game where he was a difference-maker.”
Crowd toughness according to Alexis
“I would challenge him. You know, last year at Chattanooga, they played at Auburn, which I would say is probably similar to this. But I think kind of being in our program now, you know, coming in a rivalry game, you know, I think was something that was probably really new and unique to him, and credit him to the way he handled it.”
Next up for Florida
The Gators return home to host the Florida A&M Rattlers inside the O’Connell Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19. That game tips off at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
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