Image Credit: UAA
The No. 18 Florida Gators and Wichita State Shockers played a close-ish basketball game … for about 14 minutes. In one of the most shocking results of the young 2023-24 season, Florida ultimately pulled off an 88-51 blowout victory once leading by as many as 48 points late in the second half.
The Gators improved to 8-0 for the first time since in 15 years (2009-10 season), but they did so while winning all eight games by double digits for the first time in program history.
A stellar 3-point shooting performance coupled with lock down defense provided Florida with its most dominant win of the season over a talented opponent. Wichita State entered rated 74th in the KenPom.com standings despite entering the contest having won their first six games.
Let’s take a look at what went down Friday afternoon as the Gators won the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida.
It was over when … Florida ended the first half on a 16-0 run over 5:55 and turned that into an extended 32-2 scoring stretch spanning halftime by beginning the latter period on a 16-2 run with sophomore center Alex Condon scoring 13 points during that stretch. UF led by as many as 47 points with 6:52 to play before taking its collective foot off the gas. Wichita State made the first basket of the game but trailed for the final 37:32 with Florida’s overwhelming offense and unselfish rotation proving too much to handle.
Exceptional efforts: Redshirt senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. led all scorers with 19 points on 5 of 9 shooting from deep, but it was Condon whose exceptional stretch put the game away at halftime. He hit all three of his treys for 17 points with 9 rebounds to boot. Sophomore C Rueben Chinyelu broke out with 14 points on 7 of 9 shooting 11 boards for his first double-double of the season and second of his collegiate career.
Odds & ends: Florida improved to 3-0 all-time against Wichita State … UF outrebounded WSU 56-30, registered 20 assists on 35 baskets, dominated paint scoring 36-22 and had 20 second-chance points on 20 offensive boards … the Gators improved to 38-9 under Golden when leading at halftime, 45-5 when leading with 5 minutes left, 43-6 when shooting the same or better than an opponent from the field, 36-9 when shooting the same or better as an opponent from 3-point range, 15-4 when shooting better than 40% from 3-point range and 33-7 when outrebounding an opponent
What it means: As well as Florida has been playing this season, a bloodletting like this was completely unexpected. Wichita State is an NCAA Tournament-caliber team that was playing in a (relatively meaningless) event championship yet never truly contended. The Gators had doubled the Shockers’ rebounding at one point. They had 20 assists on 35 baskets with just 8 turnovers. Florida was so efficient shooting that it only took five free throws in the game. This was probably as dominant a performance as UF has put together against a legitimately competitive team in program history.
It’s not just the Gators’ early season success that has been impressive but the way they are winning games that is truly eye-opening. Florida can grab victory when shooting well or making its gains from the free-throw line, when being sloppy protecting the ball or playing a nearly clean game, when outrebounding opponents or getting tested in the paint.
The competition is soon going to turn up — particularly in less than three weeks when it faces North Carolina and begins SEC play three weeks after that against Kentucky — but if UF can continue playing ball this well, perhaps the Elite Eight will be far too low of a ceiling for this team.
What’s next? The Gators will get most of the next week off only participating in one game or the 2024 SEC-ACC Challlenge. Florida hosts Virginia on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. ET in a game that will air live nationally on ESPN2.
