Florida basketball returned to action on Thanksgiving Day for the first of two games in the ESPN Events Invitational against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who fell to the Gators in Kissimmee, 75-58.
This was the toughest matchup [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] and Co. have faced early on in the 2024-35 campaign and it showed at times, but the Orange and Blue simply had too much for Wake to handle. A strong g performance from both the front and backcourt cemented Florida’s seventh win in as many tries.
Every win is important — even early in the season against non-conference opponents — and the Gators will look to build on their Thursday afternoon performance. Here are the takeaways from the triumphant victory that represents payback for last year’s loss.
Gators came out flat in 1st 10 minutes
Florida opened scoring on the very first possession on an Alex Condon hook shot, but Wake Forest responded with a three to take an early lead. The two teams battled back and forth a bit before the Gators went ice cold from the field, going four-and-a-half minutes without a field goal (and just one free throw) and falling behind by as many as nine points.
The de facto second period went much better, with Golden’s gang closing the first half with a 21-8 run over 10:23 to post a 32-28 halftime lead. Will Richard dropped 10 efficient points to lead all scorers while Rueben Chinyelu led the Gators with five rebounds.
Six Gators made it onto the scoreboard that half, with the team posting a rough 35.5% (11-for-31) from the field overall and 27.3% (3-for-11) from behind the arc; they were also 63.8% (7-for-11) from the charity stripe.
Florida explodes out of halftime
The Gators scored the first 10 points of the second half as they continued their surge from the second 15-minute block, running out to an early 14-point lead that provided them some padding they would need.
The Deacons were not going down without a fight, shortening the lead to six before Florida pushed things back into double-digits thanks to an outburst by Alijah Martin. Wake Forest would get back to within seven points of Florida with just over five minutes remaining but would get no closer.
A six-point-play that included the ejection of Wake Forest’s head coach with under three minutes remaining effectively put the final nail in the coffin for the Demon Deacons. After that, it was clear that the Orange and Blue would prevail.
The Gators finished the game shooting 44.4% (23-for-58) from the field overall and 31.3% (8-for-27) from three-point range, along with an 87.5% (21-for-27) mark from the free-throw line.
Florida’s backcourt trio continues to impress
The three starting guards combined for 51 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and seven steals.
Clayton led all scorers with 21 points on 6-for-18 shooting from the field which includes a 4-for-13 effort from behind the arc and a 5-for-6 performance at the free-throw line. He added three assists, three steals and two rebounds in 35 minutes played.
Martin chipped in 16 on 7-for-13 shooting and 2-for-5 from three-point range while adding a pair of rebounds, assists and steals in 26 minutes of action. Richard also contributed 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting (1-for-3 from three-point range) and five free throws made in six attempts, while playing 31 minutes.
Next up for Florida
The Gators will play in the winner’s bracket of the ESPN Events Invitational on Friday, Nov. 29 against Witchita State Shockers. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
