The Florida Gators’ clutch shooting late in their second-round men’s basketball tournament matchup helped knock off the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies on Sunday, 77-75.
No. 1 Florida didn’t lead at all until 2:44 left in the game. Guard Walter Clayton Jr. nailed a 3-pointer and then a Huskies turnover led to a breakaway dunk from Will Richard. It was a part of a 6-0 run and the Gators never looked back.
Alijah Martin later threw down a dunk off of an offensive rebound to put the exclamation point on the dramatic victory.
The game was tied at 31 at halftime after UConn’s Hassan Diarra nailed a 3-pointer. It appeared the Huskies were about to build momentum to stun one of the best teams in the nation. But Florida kept it close. The Huskies never had a lead larger than six points.
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Clayton finished with 23 points. He was 6-of-14 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Martin added 18 points and Richard had 15.
Liam McNeely, who hit a buzzer-beater before the end of the game, led the Huskies with 22 points.
The Gators will be back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 under Michael White. The team lost in the first round last season and exited the second round three times before that.
Florida won the SEC Championship this season on the way to earning the No. 1 seed in the West Region. The team will play the winner of No. 12 Colorado State and No. 4 Maryland.
The Huskies’ loss ended the program’s shot at three consecutive college basketball titles. UConn defeated San Diego State in 2023 and topped Purdue last year.
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