No. 9 Florida handles Arizona State, moves to 10-0 for first time in a decade

ATLANTA (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. hit five 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 25 points as he helped No. 9 Florida to a 83-66 win over Arizona State on Saturday.

Alijah Martin had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Adam Miller led Arizona State (8-2) with 18 points.

The Gators (10-0) set the tone early as they hit four of their 10 total 3-pointers as part of a 12-0 run, to take an 18-8 lead with 14:29 to play in the first half.

The Gators shot 48% from the field (32 of 67) compared to Arizona State’s 37% (23 of 62) shooting performance. The Gators outrebounded the Sun Devils 47-27.

Florida center Rueben Chinyelu (9) shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona State, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Kathryn Skeean)

Takeaways

Florida: The Gators started the season with a 10-0 record for the third time in school history, following the 1951-1952 team, coached by John Mauer, and Billy Donovan’s 2005-2006 squad. Donovan’s team started 17-0 and won the program’s first NCAA title.

Arizona State: Both of the Sun Devils’ losses have come against top 10 teams. On Nov. 10, they lost 88-80 to No. 8 Gonzaga.

Key moment

Florida started the second half on a 36-18 run to take its largest lead of the game, 79-50. The Gators shot 16 of 26, including four 3-pointers, during the run.