Live Blog: Florida Gators 95, Norfolk State 69
RALEIGH, N.C. — The No. 1 seed Florida Gators opened NCAA Tournament played on Friday with a 95-69 win over 16-seed Norfolk State. UF built a 32-point lead in the first half and led by 20-plus for almost all of the second period.
Four Gators finished in double figures, led by Walter Clayton Jr. with 23 points. Fellow senior guard Alijah Martin scored 17, Alex Condon had 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers and Thomas Haugh added 13 points off the bench.
Florida will face the winner of Friday night’s matchup between UConn (8) and Oklahoma (9) on Sunday.
Below are live updates from the NCAA Tournament matchup between Florida and Norfolk State.
Florida vs. Norfolk State Live Blog
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 89, Norfolk State 63 (2:59 2H)
The Gators pushed their lead to 28 points with a 6-0 run and now have 10 3-pointers for the game against just one for the Spartans, who are 1-for-12 from downtown (8%).
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 76, Norfolk State 55 (8:00 2H)
The Spartans have played UF to a tie this half (23-23) but the Gators still maintain their lead of 20-plus. Alex Condon with nine of his 11 points after the break.
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 71, Norfolk State 50 (11:52 2H)
An even second half to this point (18-18) and NSU (50%) is now shooting better than Gators (49%). Spartans winning the paint 40-28, but UF outscoring them 24-3 from beyond the arc.
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 66, Norfolk State 44 (15:20 2H)
Alex Condon with two 3-point plays so far this half, including a triple, but the Gators are getting outrebounded 6-1 since the break.
HALF: Florida 53, Norfolk State 32
Spartans close out the half with an 11-0 run as the Gators didn’t score in the last 3:15, missing six straight shots and seven of their last eight.
UF shot 50% and 7-for-19 from 3. NSU is at 42% and 1-for-8 beyond the arc.
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 51, Norfolk State 21 (3:15 1H)
Walter Clayton Jr. (16) and Alijah Martin are in double figures for the Gators. They’re winning on the glass 20-10 and have a 13-0 edge in points off turnovers.
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 42, Norfolk State 14 (6:52 1H)
UF with a football-score lead against the Spartans, who are shooting 26% against Florida’s 60%. The Gators have made their last three shots and are on a 7-0 run.
Top 10
- 1New
Baseball Top 25 projection
Shakeup on deck
- 2Trending
Sean Miller
Texas hires Xavier head coach
- 3Hot
Dan Hurley
Levels NSFW warning to Baylor
- 4
Iowa Coaching Search
Hawkeyes have their man?
- 5
Cavinder Twins X NASCAR
Miami stars at the track
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 26, Norfolk State 7 (11:40 1H)
Clayton is already in double figures with 13 points. The Gators are owning the glass (11-5) with seven offensive rebounds already and nine points off Spartan turnovers.
SCORE UPDATE: Florida 9, Norfolk State 2 (16:00 1H)
Walter Clayton Jr. opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and the Gators are on a 6-0 run. The Spartans haven’t scored in 3:13 with six straight missed shots.
Florida Gators starters
| No. | Player | Position | Height/Weight | Class | Min. | Pts. | Rebs. | Misc. |
| 1 | Walter Clayton Jr. | Guard | 6-2, 195 pounds | Sr. | 32.4 | 17.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 ast |
| 15 | Alijah Martin | Guard | 6-2, 210 pounds | Gr. | 30.0 | 14.5 | 4.6 | 2.3 ast |
| 5 | Will Richard | Guard | 6-4, 206 pounds | Sr. | 31.5 | 13.6 | 4.5 | 1.7 stl |
| 21 | Alex Condon | Forward | 6-11, 230 pounds | So. | 25.2 | 11.2 | 7.9 | 2.2 ast |
| 9 | Rueben Chinyelu | Center | 6-10, 260 pounds | So. | 19.2 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 0.9 blk |
Norfolk State Spartans starters
| No. | Player | Position | Height/Weight | Class | Min. | Pts. | Rebs. | Misc. |
| 0 | Christian Ings | Guard | 6-2, 180 pounds | Gr. | 27.5 | 11.9 | 2.2 | 3.2 ast |
| 5 | Brian Moore Jr. | Guard | 6-2, 185 pounds | Gr. | 31.6 | 18.4 | 3.8 | 3.1 ast |
| 11 | Jaylani Darden | Guard | 6-5, 175 pounds | Sr. | 24.4 | 6.3 | 4.7 | 2.4 ast |
| 9 | Jalen Myers | Forward | 6-8, 200 pounds | Gr. | 25.2 | 10.6 | 5.4 | 1.0 ast |
| 7 | Kuluel Mading | Forward | 6-11, 210 pounds | Sr. | 22.3 | 7.4 | 4.1 | 1.3 blk |
Betting lines for Gators vs. Spartans
Spread: Florida -28.5
Over/Under: 153.5 points
Moneyline: Florida -10000, Norfolk State +3030
March Madness coverage
* Florida Gators locked in on Norfolk State after last year’s early exit
* Florida Gators ignoring the hype, keeping edge for March Madness
* Norfolk State coach ‘angry’ about the 28.5-point spread vs. Florida
* Norfolk State scouts Walter Clayton Jr.: ‘He’s a microwave scorer’
* Get to know Norfolk State, the Florida Gators’ 1st-round opponent
* When Todd Golden realized Florida had a chance to be special
* After singing — and sleeping — on Sunday, UF ready to go dancing
* Alijah Martin’s Final Four experience elevates Florida’s hopes
* Florida Basketball: How the frontcourt completes an elite lineup
* Quick hitters with Thomas Haugh: On UF’s confidence and focus
* Gators Online Show: Big Dance Preview, SEC Tournament Recap
* A March Madness overview for the Florida Gators
* Florida Gators’ most memorable 1st-round NCAA Tournament wins
* Florida Gators receive No. 1 seed in 2025 NCAA Tournament
Not a member of Gators Online?
CLICK HERE to join the Gators Online community! It’s the top place for passionate Florida fans to find the best insight and news in the market.
Boasting a talented collection of experienced journalists, we dig deep into recruiting and provide breaking news and analysis on UF sports.
