Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Walter Clayton Jr. scored a game-high 19 points Friday and No. 18 Florida ripped off 27 consecutive points in a run that bridged both halves as it routed Wichita State 88-51 for the ESPN Events Invitational championship in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Alex Condon added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Rueben Chinyelu contributed 14 points, 11 boards and four assists as the Gators improved to 8-0 with perhaps their most impressive effort of the season. They shot 44.9 percent from the field, making 14 of 33 3-pointers, and completely stifled the previously unbeaten Shockers (6-1) on defense.

Wichita State entered the game averaging 80.8 ppg and canning nearly 46 percent of its shots. But Florida’s length and quickness totally shut down the Shockers, which converted just 29.8 percent from the field and went 5-of-22 on 3-pointers.

Matej Bosnjak led Wichita State with 11 points off the bench, while fellow reserve Xavier Bell scored 10. The Shockers’ starters managed only 19 points, with leading scorer Justin Hill (16.3 points per game) tallying just four on 2-of-12 shooting.

The Gators nearly doubled up Wichita State on the glass 56-30, turning 20 offensive rebounds into 20 points. They also earned major advantages in points in the paint (36-22) and fastbreak points (22-5).

Bosnjak hit two free throws with 7:26 left in the first half, pulling the Shockers within 21-18. Their next points came at the 16:46 mark of the second half when Bosnjak ended a drought of nearly 11 minutes with a layup that trimmed Florida’s lead to 48-20.

The Gators reeled off the final 16 points of the first half, getting a 3-pointer from Alijah Martin with 10 seconds remaining to open up a 37-18 advantage at the break. They opened the second half with 11 more unanswered points, going up by 30 when Condon drilled a 3-pointer with 17:05 left.

Florida expanded the lead as much as 48 points in the last two minutes before Wichita State scored the game’s last 11 points.

–Field Level Media