Walter Clayton Jr. scored five of his game-high 23 points late to give top-seeded Florida separation en route to a 77-75 win over back-to-back defending champion UConn, punching the Gators ticket to the Sweet 16 on Sunday.
Because of Huskies wing Liam McNeeley hitting a 3 at the buzzer, it was the closest call for a No. 1 seed so far this NCAA Tournament and just the second within single digits (No. 1 Houston edged No. 8 Gonzaga 81-76 on Saturday).
Clayton’s scoring was part of an 8-0 run by the Gators that gave Florida the first two-possession lead by either side after more than six minutes of a tight heavyweight battle.
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It was a 31-all tie game at the half, and when UConn scored the first bucket of the second half, the Huskies held onto the lead for the more than 17 minutes.
Florida’s Alex Condon, who had team highs with seven rebounds and four assists, then broke a 64-all tie with 1:52 left on a free throw prior to the five scored by Clayton that earned the Gators their separation.
McNeeley paced the Huskies with his 22 points, but he and UConn’s other volume scorers — Solo Ball and Alex Karaban — were inefficient from the field, combining to shoot 13-for-40 (32.5%).
Florida now waits to see who it will play in the Sweet 16, the winner of No. 4 Maryland and No. 12 Colorado State, which tips off later on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. on TBS
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