Florida Vs North Florida Saturday 12 PM Game Preview
#7/6 Florida Men's Basketball (11-0) vs. North Florida (7-5)
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center | Gainesville, Fla.
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 | 12 p.m.
TV/Streaming
SEC Network | ESPN App
Play-by-Play: James Westling | Analyst: Patric Young
Radio
Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD | SiriusXM 106/190 & SiriusXM App
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley | Producer/Engineer: Steve Egan
The Tip-Off
* Florida and North Florida meet for the 11th time in series history, with the Gators holding a 10-0 record vs. the Ospreys. UF looks to enter the holiday break strong, entering Saturday's game on an 11-game winning streak to start the season and holding a 13-game home winning streak dating back to January.
* One of four remaining unbeaten teams, Florida has back-to-back top-10 rankings in the AP poll after the month of November for the first time since spending the final 11 weeks of the 2013-14 season in the top 10. The Gators spent the first five weeks of the 2017-18 campaign in the top 10, but did not hit the top 10 again after a #5 ranking in the Dec. 4, 2017, poll.
* UF's 11 straight wins to start the season mark the second-best start in program history (17-0, 2005-06). The 11-game winning streak is Florida's eighth-longest all-time and the team's longest since a program-record 30-game winning streak in the 2013-14 season.
* UF has hit 10 or more 3-pointers in seven of its last eight games, knocking down 11.1 3s per game.
* Walter Clayton Jr. has made a 3-pointer in 34 straight games, matching the third-longest such streak in UF history. His current run is the longest since Michael Frazier II's record 41-game streak in 2014 and 2015.
* With 11 made 3-pointers in Florida's last outing vs. UNC, the Gators have hit 10 or more 3-pointers in seven of their last eight games with an average of 11.1 made over that stretch.
* Over the final two minutes of Tuesday's win vs. North Carolina, Florida scored all eight points and grabbed all six rebounds to secure the victory.
2024-25 at a Glance
* Will Richard's 22 points vs. North Carolina included an offensive rebound and putback to break an 84-all tie in the final minute, part of UF's 8-0 run to finish off the victory. Alijah Martin added 19 points, and Alex Condon's 10 rebounds helped the Gators post a +10 advantage on the boards.
* Florida posted a dominant 83-66 neutral-site win vs. Arizona State that included a +20 rebounding margin and an Alijah Martin double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds).
* The Gators' 87 points in the SEC-ACC Challenge win vs. Virginia marked the third-most allowed by the Cavaliers over the past decade. Walter Clayton Jr. led UF with 27 points, while Alex Condon (19), Alijah Martin (16) and Denzel Aberdeen (12) all tallied double figures.
* Florida used a 27-0 run to bury Wichita State en route to the Gators' ESPN Events Invitational championship, eventually outscoring the Shockers 67-22 over a 24-minute stretch. Walter Clayton Jr. took home MVP honors, while Alex Condon earned All-Tournament Team recognition.
* After a cold start from the field vs. Wake Forest, UF put together an extended 31-8 stretch capped by a 10-0 run to open the second half, as Walter Clayton's 21 points led four double-digit scorers in the victory.
* The Gators hit 16 3-pointers in the win vs. Southern Illinois, led by Alijah Martin's UF O'Dome record eight. Martin finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Gators.
* Florida's +18 rebounding advantage pushed the Gators past Florida State for the fourth straight win vs. the Seminoles. Walter Clayton Jr. led the attack with 25 points, while Alijah Martin added 17.
* UF used an explosive 59-point second half to secure the season-opening win vs. USF. While the Gators struggled from 3-point range, they shot 28-for-37 from 2-point range (.757) while getting to the line and converting to the tune of 27-for-33 (.818).
www.foxnews.com
