Florida vs. Wake Forest score, takeaways: No. 18 Gators rally for blowout win, first 7-0 start in 12 years

Basketball

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Image Credit: UAA

It did not start all that well for No. 18 Florida Gators basketball on Thanksgiving. Facing a significant deficit in the first half, Florida ultimately put its foot on the gas and coasted to the finish, a 75-58 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida.

With the victory, the Gators started 7-0 to open a season with each win coming by 10+ points for just the second time in program history The only other occasion in which Florida accomplished either feat was 2012-13 when it ultimately advanced to the Elite Eight.

As such, this is UF’s best start yet under head coach Todd Golden with SEC play still a few weeks away. Whether this Florida team maintain this success remains to be seen, but a holiday win at a neutral site is the latest obstacle overcome for a group that was also missing a starter on Thursday afternoon.

Let’s take a look at what went down just outside of Orlando.

It was over when … the Gators went on a 9-0 run led by seven straight points from redshirt senior G Alijah Martin to amass a 15-point lead with 8:28 to play. Florida scored the first 10 points of the second half completing a 31-8 stretch spanning halftime to take a commanding advantage. The Deacons were unable to cut their deficit closer than 7 points in the period with UF ultimately going up a game-high 19 with 1:03 remaining.

First half focus: Florida faced a 9-point deficit a quarter of the way through the game but found its scoring stroke from there. The Gators went on an extended 21-6 scoring stretch over 8:51 late in the period to ultimately hold a 4-point lead at halftime. Senior guard Will Richard led all scorers with 10 points in the first frame as UF somehow found its way in front of Wake despite shooting just 27% from the field.

Exceptional efforts: Senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half despite only hitting 4 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Martin finished second in the agme with 16 points on 7 of 13 shooting, while Richard wound up with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Sophomore center Alex Condon was immensely efficient in the game scoring 12 points on 8 of 11 makes from the free-throw line to go along with 8 boards.

Odds & ends: Florida improved to 8-6 all-time against Wake Forest with a 4-2 record in neutral sites … the Gators dominated the boards (44-30) but got outscored in the paint (28-34), though they made their hay with 21 points off 13 forced turnovers … UF led for the final 21:38 … Florida improved to 37-9 under Golden when leading at halftime, 44-5 when leading with 5 minutes left, 42-6 when shooting the same or better than an opponent from the field, 35-9 when shooting the same or better as an opponent from 3-point range and 29-12 when attempting more free throws

What it means: The Gators took it to a talented Deacons team, but most important was their ability to rally from an early deficit without forcing shots or dragging themselves deeper into the water. Florida again proved, as it has all season, that it can bounce back from adversity and pull away from all types of opponents. The level of difficulty will soon step up significantly, but the Gators appear poised to handle it at this early juncture.

What’s next? Florida moved into the finals of the three-game event, and it will now face Wichita State on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET in a game that will air live nationally on ESPN.

And the ladies? After a hot 3-0 start to the season, the Gators have taken a huge step back losing their third straight contest earlier Thursday. Florida dropped its last two games — to rivals Miami and Florida State — by an average of 17 points before turning around and falling 83-81 to Tulane in Tampa. The Gators led at halftime and after the third quarter but got outscored 31-23 in the final period of the 2024 St. Pete Showcase. Senior C Ra Shaya Kyle again stood out with a game-high 25 points on 8 of 9 shooting from the field and 9 of 10 shooting from the charity stripe. She also compiled a game-high 9 rebounds.