Florida Gators Crush Norfolk State 95-69 in NCAA Tournament Opener

The Florida Gators kicked off their NCAA Tournament campaign with an emphatic 95-69 victory over Norfolk State.

The No. 1 seed in the West Region, and fourth overall, wasted no time, dominating their 16th-seeded opponent from the opening moments.

In just 31 seconds, senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. set the tone for the game.

Clayton drained a 3-pointer from near center court, a bold move that instantly announced Florida's arrival in March Madness.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, Florida had cruised to a 95-69 victory over Norfolk State.

This win not only marked Florida's seventh consecutive victory but also secured their 25th win of the season by a double-digit margin.

It was also a historic moment for head coach Todd Golden, who earned his first NCAA Tournament win since taking over the Gators in 2022.

"We obviously played so well in the first 15 minutes of the game, but we relaxed a little bit," Golden reflected in his postgame interview with TNT. "Still, really happy with the win."

Florida came out firing on all cylinders, with Clayton continuing to shine from deep.

His early shooting barrage, including a four-point play, helped spark a 10-0 run that saw the Gators quickly build a commanding 13-2 lead.

Clayton scored 13 of his 23 points in the game's opening six minutes, propelling Florida to a 19-5 advantage.

The Gators never looked back.

Their biggest lead of the first half came with just over three minutes to play when Rueben Chinyelu's free throws pushed the lead to 32 points.

At that point, Florida had completely dominated Norfolk State, leading 53-21.

The Spartans did manage a late rally, closing out the first half on an 11-0 run to trim the Gators' lead to 53-32 at the break.

"We've got to clean it up a little bit to get ready for Sunday," said Golden. "It's very unusual to be a No. 1 seed and not have an NCAA Tournament win under your belt."

Even with Norfolk State's late push, Florida's dominance was clear.

In the opening 20 minutes, the Gators shot 50 percent from the floor (18 of 36) and connected on 7 of 19 from beyond the arc.

Clayton led the way with 16 points, while the Spartans' efforts to slow down the Gators had little effect.

The second half saw Florida continue to control the game.

Norfolk State's closest approach came with 9:26 left when Jaylani Darden hit a jumper to trim the lead to 72-54.

However, the Gators quickly pushed the lead back to a comfortable margin.

Florida had four players score in double figures, with Alijah Martin adding 17 points, Thomas Haugh contributing 13, and Alex Condon adding 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

With the win, Florida improved to 11-1 all-time as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and 17-6 in first-round games.

This victory also marked an important milestone in the Gators' tournament history.

Florida had never scored more than 50 points in the first half of an NCAA Tournament game, but they shattered that record with 53 points in the opening period.

The previous high was 48 points in a 2013 second-round win over Minnesota.

Clayton, who was named SEC Tournament MVP just days earlier, also had a personal achievement to celebrate.

Early in the second half, he scored his 2,000th career point with a drive to the basket.

As the Gators moved forward in the tournament, all eyes were on their next opponent.

Florida (31-4) will face the winner of the matchup between two-time defending national champion Connecticut (23-10) and No. 9 seed Oklahoma (20-13).

The Gators have struggled against the Huskies, losing five straight matchups, including a defeat in the 2014 NCAA semifinals.

However, Florida has had more success against Oklahoma, having defeated the Sooners 85-63 during their regular-season Southeastern Conference game in Gainesville earlier this year.

As Florida looks ahead to the next round, their dominant first-round performance has solidified their position as a strong contender in this year’s NCAA Tournament.