Clayton scores 19 and No. 18 Florida uses 27-0 run to pull away to 88-51 victory over Wichita State
Highlight: UF marks eighth straight win with blowout of Wichita State
The No. 18 Gators use a 27-0 run spanning the two halves -- 16-0 to end the first, 11-0 to start the second -- to stun the Shockers, 88-51, in the ESPN Events Invitational champ game.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- — Walter Clayton Jr scored 19 points and Alex Condon had 17 points and nine rebounds to help No. 18 Florida overwhelm Wichita State 88-51 Friday in the championship game of the ESPN Events Invitational at Disney World.
Rueben Chinyelu keyed a strong defensive performance and finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Gators (8-0), who led by as many as 48 after breaking it open with a 27-0 run that began over the last seven-plus minutes of the first half.
Matej Bosnjak came off the bench to lead Wichita State (6-1) with 11 points. Shockers top scorer Justin Hill, however, was limited to four on 2 for 12 shooting.
Florida: The Gators are off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 2009. They've won each of their games by double-digits.
Wichita State: The Shockers suffered their first loss after reaching the title game of this tournament with a 68-66 overtime victory over Minnesota. They fell to 0-3 all-time against Florida.
Bosnjak made two free throws to trim Wichita State's deficit to 21-18 with 7:26 remaining in the first half. The Shockers didn't score again until Bosnjak made a short jumper just over three minutes in the second half. By that time, Florida had built its lead to 48-18, scoring the last 16 before the break and first 11 after.
The Gators set the tone defensively with four blocks in the first seven minutes. Wichita shot 18.8 percent (6-32) in the first half and 29.8 percent for the game. Florida made 14 3-pointers and held the Shockers to 5-of-22 shooting beyond the arc.
Both teams next play on Wednesday, with Florida hosting Virginia and Wichita State facing Alcorn State at home.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Don Daily
- Byron Jarrett
- Keith Kimble
2024-25 American Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 16-2 | - | 29-6 |
| North Texas | 14-4 | 2 | 25-8 |
| UAB | 13-5 | 3 | 23-12 |
| Tulane | 12-6 | 4 | 19-14 |
| East Carolina | 10-8 | 6 | 19-14 |
| Florida Atlantic | 10-8 | 6 | 18-16 |
| Temple | 9-9 | 7 | 17-15 |
| Wichita State | 8-10 | 8 | 19-15 |
| South Florida | 6-12 | 10 | 13-19 |
| Tulsa | 6-12 | 10 | 13-20 |
| UTSA | 6-12 | 10 | 12-19 |
| Rice | 4-14 | 12 | 13-19 |
| Charlotte | 3-15 | 13 | 11-22 |
2024-25 Southeastern Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 15-3 | - | 30-5 |
| Florida | 14-4 | 1 | 32-4 |
| Alabama | 13-5 | 2 | 26-8 |
| Tennessee | 12-6 | 3 | 29-7 |
| Texas A&M | 11-7 | 4 | 23-11 |
| Kentucky | 10-8 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Ole Miss | 10-8 | 5 | 23-11 |
| Missouri | 10-8 | 5 | 22-12 |
| Arkansas | 8-10 | 7 | 22-13 |
| Mississippi State | 8-10 | 7 | 21-13 |
| Georgia | 8-10 | 7 | 20-13 |
| Vanderbilt | 8-10 | 7 | 20-13 |
| Oklahoma | 6-12 | 9 | 20-14 |
| Texas | 6-12 | 9 | 19-16 |
| LSU | 3-15 | 12 | 14-18 |
| South Carolina | 2-16 | 13 | 12-20 |
Men's College Basketball News