Most Florida Basketball fans would have preferred a less stressful afternoon than what took place on Sunday. The Gators were 9.5-point favorites over UConn, and on paper, there was minimal pathway the Huskies had to actually beat Florida.
But this is March, and there is a reason why this month is filled with madness. And while there was every chance for Florida to crash out early, Walter Clayton put the team on his back and refused to let the journey end as the Gators prevailed 77-75 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.
Florida Basketball: Let It Fly
To make a run in March, your stars have to be stars. For 35 minutes, it looked like Florida had no stars as UConn frustrated the Gators every step of the way and led by as much as 52-46 with nine minutes to play.
But Florida's First Team All-American wasn't ready for the story to end and made the shots one would expect a First Team All-American to make.
Clayton had 23 points on the afternoon, none of which were bigger than the three-pointer he made with 1:07 left to put Florida up by six.
And while this game will be remembered for Clayton's clutch shot-making, don't gloss over the performance from Alijah Martin. He chipped in 18 points, while Will Richard had 15 of his own.
Florida did everything they could to keep UConn in the game, including 22-34 shooting from the free throw line, but as Martin stated at halftime, "Stop coming up with excuses."
This was far from what Gator fans hoped for, but it is a reminder that March takes no prisoners. This is March, and this is Madness. If Florida expects to make it out of San Francisco, things will have to get tightened up.
However, as UConn coach Dan Hurley stated after the game, Florida showed its quality down the stretch. And if they can combine grit and smarter decision-making to go with that quality, the opportunity to cut down the nets in San Antonio is still in play.