GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- From the opening tip, it was Walter Clayton Jr.'s day. He splashed in a triple on the first possession and ended the game with 19 points (7-of-12) as Florida cruised to a win against Vanderbilt.
Clayton fell one point shy of being the first Florida player since Dwayne Schintzius in 1989 to score 20 points in five straight games. Clayton's efforts helped UF take down the Commodores 77-64 in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
The Gators started the game on the right foot with a perfect 5-of-5 start shooting the ball. After Clayton's three, Tyrese Samuel threw down two dunks during the stretch.
Samuel later spun around a defender for a dunk to give him eight points just midway through the first half. He led Florida in scoring at the half with 11 points.
Florida's offense entered a lull as UF was just 1-of-9 late in the first half, but consecutive Will Richard three-pointers put UF up 28-15 with 5:32 left in the half. Richard had eight points in the first half on 3-of-8 shooting.
The Gators went into halftime up 35-20. UF shot 41% from the floor and 38% from three in the first half. Vanderbilt struggled to convert on offense and was just 26% from the field and 14% from beyond the arc.
Clayton began the second half just like he started the first by hitting a three, but Vanderbilt's Evan Taylor responded with a triple of his own.
Richard knocked down a three from the left wing and then hit a pair of free throws to give him five straight UF points. He finished the game as UF's leading scorer with 21 points (7-of-13).
Vanderbilt guard Tyrin Lawrence hit a jumper to cut the lead to 10 midway through the second half. The Commodores were 5-of-6 from the field during that stretch to chip into the deficit.
Alex Condon drained a jumper and Richard drove inside for a layup to extend Florida's lead. Condon hit a pair of free throws as the lead ballooned to 21 points.
The Gators continued to maintain their double-digit lead as they took down the Commodores. UF shot 47% from the field and 38% from deep, while Vanderbilt shot just 36% overall and 23% from beyond the arc.
Despite the win, Zyon Pullin scored just two points and was 1-of-8 from the field as he saw his 23-game streak of scoring in double digits get snapped.
Florida moves to 19-8 (9-5 SEC) after the win against Vanderbilt. The Gators will stay in Gainesville and take on the Missouri Tigers, who are still winless in SEC play, on Wednesday.
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