No. 1 Florida Dominates No. 16 Norfolk State, Excites CBB Fans in March Madness Win

Florida is past the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament for the first time since 2021.

The No. 1 Gators rode a hot start to a 95-69 blowout win over No. 16 Norfolk State on Friday night.

Florida scored a program NCAA Tournament-record 53 points in the first half thanks in part to Walter Clayton Jr.'s four triples.

Despite a Norfolk State run late in the half, Florida went into the break with a 21-point lead.

The Gators at times looked flat on defense during the second half as Norfolk State worked to chip away at the early advantage.

The Gators were ultimately able to cruise to a blowout victory and claim a ticket to the Field of 32.

Florida will now face either No. 8 UConn or No. 9 Oklahoma in the next round. Fans are hoping to see more sustained defensive effort from the Gators against either of these higher-seeded opponents:

Clayton led the Gators with 23 points in the win, while Rueben Chinyelu pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Christian Ings led the Spartans with 16 points in the loss.

Florida will head into the second round as one of the hottest teams in the tournament, having won seven straight games and 13 of their last 14 contests.

The Huskies and Sooners will fight for the right to battle Florida when their own first-round matchup tips off Friday night at 9:25 p.m. ET.