Walter Clayton Jr. scored 18 points, Will Richard added 14, and No. 2 Florida cruised past Oklahoma 85-63 on Tuesday night, extending its winning streak to five games. The Gators (23-3, 10-3 SEC) controlled the game from start to finish, using a strong first-half run to put the Sooners (16-10, 3-10) away early.
Alijah Martin provided a spark off the bench with 14 points as Florida tied a season-low with just six turnovers and improved to 13-1 at home. The trio of Clayton, Richard, and Martin. Florida’s top three scorers combined to make 15 of 31 shots, including nine three-pointers. Their early offensive explosion fueled the Gators double-digit lead, which they never relinquished.
The Gators were once again without starting forward Alex Condon and backup big man Sam Alexis, both sidelined with injuries. While Condon participated in shootaround without a protective boot, he did not suit up for the game.
Meanwhile, Micah Handlogten continued his comeback from a broken leg suffered last March. In his second game back, the 7-foot-1 center contributed two points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.
The Sooners dropped their fifth consecutive game, a stretch that has included four matchups against ranked opponents. Each of those losses has been by at least 18 points, highlighting their struggles against top-tier competition.
Jeremiah Fears led Oklahoma with 22 points and five rebounds, but the Sooners failed to keep pace with Florida’s sharpshooting and ball movement.
Despite battling injuries, the Gators have stayed hot. During their five-game winning streak, they’ve played at times without key contributors like Clayton, Martin, Condon, and Alexis, yet they continue to find ways to win. Florida’s ability to take care of the basketball was another key to victory, as the team finished with just six turnovers while forcing Oklahoma into several costly mistakes.
Florida blew the game open in the first half with a 17-3 run, highlighted by five three-pointers including three on consecutive possessions in just over a minute. What had been a six-point game quickly turned into a rout, and Oklahoma never recovered.
The Gators knocked down 12 of 32 three-pointers, marking the fifth straight game in which they’ve made at least 10 shots from beyond the arc. Coach Todd Golden’s squad continues to rely on its perimeter shooting, and it paid off once again.
Oklahoma will look to snap its losing streak when it hosts No. 21 Mississippi State on Saturday. Florida, meanwhile, will head to Baton Rouge for a road matchup against LSU later that day. With the way the Gators are playing, they remain a serious contender for a deep run in March.
