The Florida Gators dominated Maryland 87-71 in an impressive Sweet 16 win, securing their first Elite Eight spot since 2017.
Leading the offensive charge, Will Richard scored 15 points, while Alijah Martin delivered 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Walter Clayton Jr. added 13 points.
"We come in with great energy. Just everybody being ready, whoever's name is called, I think that's what we did," said Denzel Aberdeen to FloridaGators.com.
The Gators' bench made the difference, outscoring Maryland's reserves 29-3. Aberdeen came off the bench to score 12 points.
"I think their bench really wore us down," Maryland coach Kevin Willard admitted. His team struggled to keep up with Florida's constant rotation of players.
"The message was simple: We have to take care of the ball," Coach Todd Golden stated. His team showed better control after halftime.
Florida dominated the rebounding battle 42-20. They powered their way to 38 points in the paint.
The Gators showed balanced offense with six players scoring double digits. Alex Condan's comeback from injury helped fuel the team's second-half performance.
This win puts Florida among college basketball's top programs, matching the most Elite Eight appearances of any team in the last twenty years.
Hot shooting from outside helped seal the win. The Gators hit key three-pointers to pull away from Maryland.
Tough defense disrupted Maryland's rhythm. After a close first half, Florida took control.
Next up: Texas Tech in Saturday's Elite Eight matchup. This season now ranks with Florida's best, matching the third-highest win total in program history.
