Gainesville, Florida – The No. 20 Florida Gators men’s basketball team closed it out late over the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee on Friday, winning 87-74.

Again it was the starting tandem of Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin who helped push the Gators over the goal line in this one. Clayton Jr. finished the game with 25 points, five rebounds and three assists. Martin finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists.

This win also pushes the Gators’ winning streak over their rivals to four straight years and keeps them undefeated on the season as they improve to 4-0.

The Gators Backcourt leads the way in the first half

This game didn’t start out the way the Gators would have hoped offensively, only racking up 11 points in nearly the first eight minutes of this game.

But it finally started to take a turn for the better around the 13-minute mark. After holding an 11-10 lead over the Seminoles, the Gators finally started pouring in the points. They went from that one-point lead to a 37-19 advantage over their opponents by the 5:38 mark thanks to a 26-9 run sparked by the Gators backcourt.

On this run, Clayton Jr. to nine points while Martin scored six. These two were also assisted by a number of other Gators. Five other players made a basket for the Gators during that stretch.

But it wasn’t just this offensive onslaught that helped break the game open for the Gators, the defense also played its part. They made life difficult for their opponents and certainly did not give up any easy looks. As a result, it led to an ineffective first half for Florida State.

Despite shooting the ball well, especially from 3, to start this rivalry game, the Seminoles’ offense began to fall apart as the game wore on. At halftime, the Seminoles connected on just 36.4 percent of their shots (12-33) and made just four of their nine free throw attempts.

At halftime, Gators starting guard Clayton Jr. helped. and Martin to set the pace offensively. Clayton Jr. already matched his season average, scoring 16 points and shooting 3-for-6 from deep. Martin entered halftime with eight points, one rebound, one assist and knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts.

Seminoles make it scary, but Gators survive

Just like the first half, the Gators came out of the gates very sluggish. They shot 2-for-8 in the first five minutes of this game and saw their 13-point halftime lead dwindle to just nine.

Then from there their lead became a seesaw. From about the 16-minute mark to the 10-minute mark, the Gators’ lead varied from about nine to 11 points.

The Gators restored their 13-point advantage and even pushed it to 15, but it wouldn’t last long. Through some bad turnovers and rushed shots by the Gators, the Seminoles clawed this one back to eight to keep it manageable in the final four minutes of the contest.

But the Seminoles made it more than manageable over the next two minutes. They cut the Gators lead all the way down to just four with 2:21 left in the game and gave the Gators quite a scare.

Fortunately for Florida, they shut this down thanks to their backcourt duo.

With the game in limbo and the Seminoles carrying all the momentum, Martin had the biggest play of the game. With the shot clock winding down and the only option a hotly contested 3, Martin put in the dagger to put the Gators up nine with just 1:35 left.

His substitute mate Clayton Jr. followed him up with five straight points to ease the pressure on their backs and put the Gators ahead by 14. Florida State would hit another free throw before both teams finished adding to their totals, putting the final score at 87-74 in favor of the Florida Gators .

It was a nail-biter for those cheering on the orange and blue late in this one, but the Gators still emerged victorious, extending their winning streak over their rivals to four straight years.

Next up for the Gators

Florida will now return to Gainesville for its next two games on the schedule. They begin with Florida A&M on Tuesday at 7 p.m. This game will be televised on SEC Network+.

Then, following this game, the Gators will take on Southern Illinois on Friday at 19.00. This matchup will be televised on the SEC Network.