Top takeaways from Florida's absolute beatdown of Georgia
![Jan 25, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen (11) gestures after making a three point basket against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images](/gcdn/authoring/images/smg/2025/01/25/SGAT/77949939007-7-138941.jpeg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
The rivalry between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs does not quite hit as hard when played on the parquet instead of the gridiron, but the Gator Nation always appreciates a win over UGA wherever it may occur.
On Saturday, Todd Golden's team ran all over former UF coach Mike White's inside the O'Connell Center, blowing them out by a final score of 89-59.
The Orange and Blue came out of the gates on fire, and save for a few slower stretches, kept the pedal to the metal for nearly a full 40 minutes. The result was a beatdown that Florida fans will savor as their beloved team marches toward March.
Below is a look at the three key takeaways from Saturday's overwhelming win.
Alijah Martin, Gators catch fire early
Alijah Martin came out guns-a-blazing, scoring 11 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the first five-plus minutes while the team as a whole tormented the 'Dawgs on defense. Georgia's turnovers were quickly turned around and the Gators attacked the other end in transition, building an early double-digit lead.
Florida made eight straight shots and 13 of 14 in the middle of the half before finally cooling off, but at one point had hit 77.8% of its attempts from the field. Meanwhile at the other end, the Gators grabbed 15 rebounds, 11 steals and blocked three shots as they pushed the lead over 20 points — nearly doubling the 'Dawgs up heading into halftime.
After 20 minutes of play, Florida notched 51 points on 18-for-27 shooting overall (66.7%), including a 7-for-14 mark (50%) from beyond the arc and 8-for-9 (88.9) from the charity stripe. The team's 11 steals in the opening half was three short of their tally last Wednesday when they snagged 14 steals for the first time in SEC play since 2014 en route to a last-second win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Slow 2nd-half start before hitting overdrive
The opening five minutes of the second frame were rather lackluster for the Orange and Blue, allowing 10 points while scoring just four of their own and not looking sharp handling the ball. But Florida would pick up the pace as the half wore on and built the lead to as large as 34.
Walter Clayton Jr. took over, leading his team with 10 of his points 17 (tied with Martin for the team-high) on 5-for-7 shooting over 14 minutes in the second half. Alex Condon joined in with nine out of 14 total points of his own on 4-for-7 shooting while grabbing four rebounds and a steal to help the Gators keep the Bulldogs at bay.
Oh, and as far as total steals were concerned, Florida finished one short of Wednesday night's total, snagging just a pair in the final frame for a baker's dozen. Clayton paced Florida with five while Martin logged four, Reuben Chinyelu two and one apiece for Will Richard and Condon.
Golden's gang finished with five players scoring in double figures on 34-for-64 shooting overall (53.1%) including a 9-for-26 mark (34.6%) from beyond the arc and 12-for-15 (80.0%) from the free-throw line.
Georgia did itself no favors
Turnovers and mental errors plagued the 'Dawgs all day, giving the ball away 18 times with 13 coming off steals. Not every mistake resulted in a turnover, but particularly in the first half, White's guys had a hard time setting the pace. Additionally, they only shot 35.6% (21-for-59) from the field and a paltry 23.8% (5-for-21) from downtown.
Also, Georgia avoided zone defense in this one but did try to apply full-court pressure at times. With the way Florida's offense was clicking, one wonders why they did not try to mix things up more, especially as the Gators' lead continued to balloon.
As Ron Burgundy once said, "Well that escalated quickly," and boy did it ever for the Bulldogs.
White and his program just cannot catch a break against their rivals in recent years, now having lost 12 in a row to Florida and six straight under its current coach. They will get a chance to snap the schneid on Feb. 25 when they host the Gators in Athens.
Next up for Florida
The Gators get the week off and will return to action next Saturday, Feb. 1, in Knoxville for a rematch with the Tennessee Volunteers. Gametime is slated for an early noon ET start and the action will be broadcast on ESPN.
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