No. 2 Florida overwhelms Oklahoma behind veteran backcourt

Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel on Feb 18, 2025

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida continued its February flurry with March Madness inching closer for a team poised to make a postseason run.

The No. 2 Gators overwhelmed Oklahoma, 85-63, Tuesday night in the O’Connell Center behind double-digit 3-pointers for the fifth straight game and an SEC-low six turnovers.

A month that began with a 20-point loss at Tennessee has showcased the resilience and depth of coach Todd Golden’s squad, winners of five straight.

Starting power forward Alex Condon (ankle) missed his second straight game while starting shooting guard Alijah Martin came off the bench for the second time after missing two games with a hip pointer. Since missing a Feb. 4 win against Vanderbilt with an ankle sprain, point guard Walter Clayton Jr. continued his stellar play and long-range marksmanship, including a 4-of-7 effort against Oklahoma as the Gators hit 12 3-pointers.

Clayton finished with a team-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with four rebounds, two assists and no turnovers. Senior guard Will Richard added 14 points and eight rebounds as UF’s veteran backcourt trio combined for 46 points on 15-of-31 shooting and 17 rebounds, along with two steals each from Richard and Martin.

Reserve guard Urban Klavzar, a 20-year-old sophomore from Slovenia, had a career-high 10 points.

The effort moved to 13-1 at home before a sell-out crowd of 10,513. Those in attendance included former SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin, the point guard of UF’s last Final Four squad, in 2014, as the Gators’ push continued for a top seed at the NCAA Tournament.

Following back-to-back visits to LSU Saturday and Georgia Tuesday, two teams near the bottom of the conference standings, the Gators will face and SEC gauntlet featuring visits from No. 7 Texas A&M March 1 and No. 24 Ole Miss March 8, along with a March 4 trip to No. 4 Alabama.

Oklahoma, a 15.5-point underdog, was expected to offer little resistant to the Gators (23-3, 10-3 SEC). The loss was the fifth straight for the Sooners (16-10, 3-10). The skid beginning with a 28-point loss Feb. 4 at top-ranked Auburn and including four losses by at least 18 points.

The Gators seized control early on Tuesday night.

Florida broke open a 6-6 tie with a 9-2 run. After Oklahoma trimmed the lead to 20-14, a barrage of 3s began.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Klavzar and Orlando junior Denzel Aberdeen, making his fifth straight start, spurred an 8-0 run. After Oklahoma freshman Jeremiah Fears hit from long range, UF reeled off three straight 3s, including two by Richard to put the lead to 20 points, at 37-17.