The Florida Gators dominated the Norfolk State Spartans 95-69 in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. However, head coach Todd Golden pointed out some errors they made in the second half.
Florida fired on all cylinders in the first half, scoring 53 points as they led by 21 at halftime. In the second half, they slightly regressed as they produced 42 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field, including 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.
Golden reflected on his team’s performance after the game, per reporter Brian Rauf. He did not have concern on if it will be an issue moving forward but is pointing it out so they correct it as soon as possible.
“I’m not concerned moving forward that it’s going to be an issue to us. I think we played exceptionally well for the first 15 minutes and then exhaled. And Norfolk’s good…No, I did not enjoy the challenge. I would’ve preferred that we didn’t let our foot off the gas,” Golden said.
“We focus on our process over results and our process was not where it needed to be after the first 15 minutes of the game.”
What’s next for Todd Golden, Florida
While the Florida Gators had plenty of comfort in Friday’s win over Norfolk State, Todd Golden is keeping them down to earth. This is key as they look to compete for the national championship as one of the favorites in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Four players scored in double-digits in the Gators’ victory. Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 23 points, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 6-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-9 from downtown. Alijah Martin came next with 17 points, Thomas Haugh put up 13 points and four assists, while Alex Condon provided 12 points and five rebounds.
Florida enters the second round with a 31-4 overall record, having gone 14-4 in SEC Play. They average 85.7 points on 47.3% shooting from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc. As a result, they beat opponents by a solid margin of 16.5 points per game.
The 1-seed Gators will prepare for their next matchup. They face the winner of 8-seed UConn and 9-seed Oklahoma on March 23.
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