A THRILLING finish on day four of March Madness saw the Florida Gators claim a two-point win over the UConn Huskies when the two contenders clashed in the second round of the West Region on Monday morning.

The Gators are one of the biggest threats to the National Championship, having lost just four of 36 outings throughout the regular season. However, the Huskies are no easybeats either, having secured the eighth seed and looming as a wildcard in the most important period of college basketball.

The two sides could not be separated after 20 minutes of play, with the match tied at the break in an engrossing battle. Despite Florida running some of the most damaging offensive sets in college basketball, the Huskies were able to match it, and gave themselves every chance to cause a massive boilover.

However, Florida began to find its groove in the second half, pushing its nose in front to slowly but surely build a lead that was as big as eight points. Although UConn tried bravely to pull off the miracle comeback, it fell two points short as the Gators advanced.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest continue to display their craft on a nightly basis.

Florida Gators (77) def. UConn Huskies (75)

FLORIDA GATORS:

#1 Walter Clayton Jr.
Guard | 06/03/2003 | 191cm

Clayton Jr. put his name in lights with an excellent offensive performance against the Huskies, and although he was careless with the ball at times, he more than made up for it with some massive buckets on the big stage. The leading scorer for the match with 25 points, it was one of his best performances when it comes to shooting the basketball, nailing five triples on eight attempts including some timely makes down the stretch when the game was on the line, in particular, the game-sealing three. Having proven himself heading into his senior March Madness campaign, Clayton Jr. showed why he is one of the most important players when it comes to the Gators’ championship hopes.

#15 Alijah Martin
Guard | 26/12/2001 | 188cm

Martin worked in tandem with Clayton Jr. to create an extremely productive backcourt pairing and lead their side to victory in the second round. His trademark bounce and energy were on display in both halves, and were perfectly summed up when he threw down the second-chance slam late in the piece to essentially slam the door shut on any sort of UConn comeback. Although not as flashy when it comes to scoring the ball in comparison to Clayton Jr., Martin was just as clinical, finishing with 18 points on 7/12 shooting from the field in a crucial performance.

#21 Alex Condon
Forward | 25/07/2004 | 211cm

Although it was not Condon’s most productive performance on the scoring front, he was still able to impact the game in a significant way, and worked his way into the contest. UConn were looking to avoid giving up scores in the paint, which is the Aussie’s one-wood, so he instead adapted his game to be a connecting piece on the offensive end. It was evident that the Gators were looking to maximise the number of passes in a possession in order to poke holes in the defensive coverage, and Condon was heavily involved in these sets, setting up teammates with perfect passes that showed how unique of a player he has become at his size. He finished the match with five points (1/2 FG), seven rebounds and four assists in a rock-solid display.

UCONN HUSKIES:

#30 Liam McNeeley
Forward | 10/10/2005 | 201cm

The standout for the Huskies not only in this match, but over the course of the season, the freshman was again electric despite the final result. He was the most reliable source of offence for UConn, and the team continued to move the ball into his hands, a move that worked wonders with McNeeley posting a team-high 22 points. Although he did force some shots, he had earnt the right to put up some contested attempts given how it has worked in the past. The forward’s ability to draw contact was also impressive, with McNeeley showing composure at the line by nailing all eight attempts. Although his side did not get the chocolates, it was still an inspired performance.