Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles
Clayton scores 25 points as No. 20 Florida, Todd Golden beat Florida State 87-74 on the road
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- — Walter Clayton scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half and No. 20 Florida held off a late rally to beat Florida State 87-74 on Friday night.
Florida’s Todd Golden coached his first road game after allegations of sexual harassment and stalking surfaced last week. Golden was greeted by boos from a sold-out Florida State student section.
Alijah Martin added 17 points and five rebounds, Alex Condon had seven points and 12 rebounds and Florida (4-0) won its fourth straight rivalry game against Florida State.
Florida State trailed by 15 with just under eight minutes to go but chipped away and cut Florida’s lead to 77-73 with 2:23 to go. But Clayton and Martin made 3s to help Florida secure the win.
Jamir Watkins had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Seminoles (3-1). Justin Thomas hit three 3-pointers in the second half, finishing with 11 points.
Florida: The Gators had 13 offensive rebounds and produced 16 second-chance points.
Florida State: The Seminoles forced 19 turnovers, producing 16 points off turnovers, but the defensive effort wasn’t enough.
The Gators made 3s on back-to-back possessions to punctuate a 14-2 run, extending their lead to 37-19 with 5:36 until halftime.
Florida shot 26% from 3-point range in its first three games but was 7 of 15 (46.7%) from beyond the arc in the first half and raced to a 44-31 lead at the break.
Florida hosts Florida A&M on Tuesday, the same day Florida State hosts Hofstra.
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Game Information
Tallahassee, FL

Referee:Don Daily
Referee:Bill Covington Jr.
Referee:Ted Valentine

2025-26 Standings
| Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 3-1 | - | 16-1 |
| Missouri | 3-1 | - | 13-4 |
| Arkansas | 3-1 | - | 13-4 |
| Texas A&M | 3-1 | - | 13-4 |
| Florida | 3-1 | - | 12-5 |
| Georgia | 2-2 | 1 | 14-3 |
| Alabama | 2-2 | 1 | 12-5 |
| Tennessee | 2-2 | 1 | 12-5 |
| Kentucky | 2-2 | 1 | 11-6 |
| Texas | 2-2 | 1 | 11-6 |
| Mississippi State | 2-2 | 1 | 10-7 |
| Ole Miss | 2-2 | 1 | 10-7 |
| Oklahoma | 1-3 | 2 | 11-6 |
| Auburn | 1-3 | 2 | 10-7 |
| South Carolina | 1-3 | 2 | 10-7 |
| LSU | 0-4 | 3 | 12-5 |
| Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 5-0 | - | 16-1 |
| Clemson | 5-0 | - | 15-3 |
| Miami | 4-0 | 0.5 | 15-2 |
| Virginia | 4-1 | 1 | 15-2 |
| NC State | 3-1 | 1.5 | 12-5 |
| Syracuse | 3-1 | 1.5 | 12-5 |
| Stanford | 3-2 | 2 | 14-4 |
| North Carolina | 2-2 | 2.5 | 14-3 |
| SMU | 2-2 | 2.5 | 13-4 |
| Virginia Tech | 2-3 | 3 | 13-5 |
| Louisville | 2-3 | 3 | 12-5 |
| Notre Dame | 1-3 | 3.5 | 10-7 |
| Wake Forest | 1-3 | 3.5 | 10-7 |
| Pittsburgh | 1-3 | 3.5 | 8-9 |
| California | 1-4 | 4 | 13-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 1-4 | 4 | 10-8 |
| Boston College | 0-4 | 4.5 | 7-10 |
| Florida State | 0-4 | 4.5 | 7-10 |
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