No. 9 Florida handles Arizona State, moves to 10-0 for first time in a decade
Florida guard Will Richard (5) dunks the ball over Arizona State guard Joson Sanon (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona State on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Kathryn Skeean
ATLANTA — Walter Clayton Jr. hit five 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 25 points as he helped No. 9 Florida to a 83-66 win over Arizona State on Saturday.
Alijah Martin had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Adam Miller led Arizona State (8-2) with 18 points.
The Gators (10-0) set the tone early as they hit four of their 10 total 3-pointers as part of a 12-0 run, to take an 18-8 lead with 14:29 to play in the first half.
The Gators shot 48% from the field (32 of 67) compared to Arizona State's 37% (23 of 62) shooting performance. The Gators outrebounded the Sun Devils 47-27.
Takeaways
Florida: The Gators started the season with a 10-0 record for the third time in school history, following the 1951-1952 team, coached by John Mauer, and Billy Donovan's 2005-2006 squad. Donovan's team started 17-0 and won the program's first NCAA title.
Arizona State: Both of the Sun Devils’ losses have come against top 10 teams. On Nov. 10, they lost 88-80 to No. 8 Gonzaga.
Florida center Rueben Chinyelu (9) shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona State, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/Kathryn Skeean
Key moment
Florida started the second half on a 36-18 run to take its largest lead of the game, 79-50. The Gators shot 16 of 26, including four 3-pointers, during the run.
Key stat
Walter made five 3-pointers, making him the second player in program history to make five 3s in three consecutive games.
Up next
Florida travels to Charlotte to face North Carolina on Tuesday. Arizona State will travel to Massachusetts on Dec. 21.
