Florida vs. Georgia score, takeaways: No. 5 Gators win 12th straight over Dawgs as Alijah Martin goes off

Basketball

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Image Credit: UAA

Less than 72 hours after winning a nail-biter on the road — a game that was closer than it should have been — No. 5 Florida Gators basketball left no doubt as to its dominance with the rival Georgia Bulldogs and former UF head coach Mike White visiting the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Florida was commanding out of the gate on its way to a blistering 89-59 win, its 12th straight in the annual home-and-home series against Georgia and biggest such victory since Jan. 9, 2013 (33 points).

Redshirt senior Alijah Martin stepped forward among the Gators’ trio of dominant guards with one of the most explosive halves of basketball the program has seen this season. Martin was rocket fuel for Florida off the jump ensuring there would be no Bulldogs comeback like there was a year ago in this game.

The Gators improved to 18-2 (5-2 SEC) matching the best start through 20 games in program history (2005-06). Head coach Todd Golden’s team continues to play blistering defense with efficient offensive production that leaves incomplete opponents grasping for answers.

Let’s take a look at what went down Saturday with some Fastbreak Takeaways.

It was over when … Martin took the court and shut the door on this game just moments after it started. Exploding out of the gate with a Kobe Bryant-esque effort on both ends of the floor, he scored 11 of Florida’s initial 16 points while grabbing three steals in the first 6 minutes. Martin finished the first half with 17 points hitting 7 of 8 shots and 2 of 3 triples.

The Gators used runs of 16-2 and 10-1 to lead by 22 points, though they went up as many as 27 and took a 25-point advantage into the break. This as they tripled UGA in points off turnovers, doubled the visitors in paint scoring and posted an 18-2 advantage on the fastbreak. The game was never close.

Florida used a 10-0 run to push its lead to 30 midway through the second half with consecutive 3-pointers from sophomore forward Thomas Haugh and senior G Will Richard pushing the advantage to a game-high 34 points before UF ultimately took its foot off the gas.

Exceptional efforts: Martin took a step back in the second half and ultimately committed four turnovers alongside his four steals in the game, but that provided space for senior G Walter Clayton Jr. to tag in and take over. Clayton matched Martin with 17 points also posting 5 assists, 3 boards and 5 steals with only a single giveaway as Florida ran past Georgia in the latter 20 minutes. Richard finished with 16 points on 4 of 8 shooting from deep, while Haugh posted a double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore center Alex Condon was also efficient with 14 points, 8 boards and 4 dimes, though he did commit 3 turnovers and 4 fouls.

Odds & ends: Florida improved to 126-103 all-time against Georgia with a 71-38 mark in the O’Dome … the Gators have now won 12 straight over the Dawgs with Golden holding a 6-0 record in the series against White … UF shot 67% from the field 50% from downtown in the first half … Florida under Golden improved to 17-9 when leading at halftime, 53-5 when leading with 5 minutes left, 41-9 when outrebounding an opponent, 38-8 when shooting 45% or better from the field, 51-7 when outshooting an opponent, 46-8 when shooting better than an opponent from 3-point range, 27-12 when shooting 75% or better from the free throw line and 16-3 when five or more players score in double figures

What it means: The Gators again flexed on both ends of the court, and they did so against a talented opponent that pushed No. 1 Auburn until the final seconds last week. Florida at 18-2 continues to matchup nicely with the 2005-06 team that broke through with the program’s first national championship, though this year’s SEC slate is certainly much tougher sledding. UF did not need to rely on defense as it got anything it wanted against UGA, and yet, it could have if necessary. Clayton and Martin combining for nine steals only made their matching game-high scoring efforts appear even more dominant. There was basically nothing the Dawgs could do as they sought ways to get back into the game. The Gators dominated scoring on the fastbreak (23-4), off turnovers (29-11) and in the paint (44-30) while dishing 19 assists on 34 made baskets.

What’s next? Staving off a mid-week upset and compounding that success with a dominant rivalry win, Florida will be rewarded with a full week off before it visits Tennessee for its toughest road contest since the SEC opener against Kentucky. The game will tip off at noon ET and air live nationally on ESPN.