“Florida’s Daring Comeback Stuns Maryland: How They Reclaimed Victory and Advanced to the Elite Eight!”

In an electrifying display that had fans buzzing, the Florida Gators finally reminded everyone why they earned the coveted No. 1 seed. After a rocky first half, they pulled together like the champions they aim to be, showcasing their potential with a commanding 87-71 victory over the Maryland Terrapins in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 bracket. As the Gators celebrated inside San Francisco’s Chase Center, they couldn’t help but reflect on their ambitious journey back to the Final Four, a destination that feels tantalizingly within reach. Coach Todd Golden, perhaps still catching his breath from the surreal moment of returning to his old stomping grounds, emphasized the need for consistency in their game—something they’ve proven they can achieve but must maintain moving forward. After years of hard work and persistence, the Gators stand on the brink of greatness. With a roster full of depth and talent, they’ll need to harness that energy as they prep for their next challenge. This victory was just one part of their story… the ride is just getting started! For the full story, LEARN MORE.Florida also beat Maryland (27-9) on the boards 40-22, another of the Gators’ advantages as they earned the top seed in the West Region. The second team to reach the Elite Eight along with Alabama, UF will face the winner between Arkansas and Texas Tech which met in the late game Thursday at Chase Center.Falling to his back after nearly committing another turnover, Condon threw the ball toward the basket, where 7-foot-1 Micah Handlogten tipped the ball twice and into the basket.

It was more than enough to move past Maryland 87-71 in a regional semifinal Thursday at Chase Center. To get back to the Final Four, the Gators will need play their best basketball for a longer stretch Saturday.Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]“It’s surreal,” the 39-year-old said. “Selfishly, personally, I don’t want it to end. It’s been an amazing run.”“This ride has been amazing,” Aberdeen said. “We know it’s not done yet.”SAN FRANCISCO — Florida finally looked like a No. 1 seed — for a half, at least.Originally Published: March 27, 2025 at 10:47 PM EDT“We were elite in the second half,” Golden said.Florida’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017 began with another uncharacteristically sloppy start highlighted by 13 first-half turnovers. But unlike Sunday’s 77-75 win against UConn, the Gators cleaned up their act and pulled away behind unselfishness, hustle and sounder basketball.“Denzel was fantastic,” Golden said. “He was in there for us when we iced it. He gave us a big lift.”

Florida suffered a scare when power forward Alex Condon left the game after he rolled his right ankle with 12:15 remaining in the first half. Condon, the Gators’ leading rebounder and most versatile post player, injured the same ankle in February, sidelining him two weeks.Willard called it “a big momentum breaker.”“That was a hell of a play,” Golden said.“We take pride in what we’ve done all year,” said center Rueben Chinyelu, who finished with 8 rebounds.UF’s reserves outscored Maryland’s 22-3 as the Gators’ depth overcame a team nicknamed the “Crab 5,” a nod to the state’s cuisine and the Terps’ iron quintet.But the 6-foot-10, 230-pound sophomore returned six minutes into the second half and showed no ill effects. Condon soon was involved in one of the game’s craziest sequences.Nothing was going to stop the Gators on Thursday.Everything went the Gators’ way, too.Maryland, a 6.5-point underdog, could not keep up with the Gators’ pace and eventually wilted.After a Maryland tip-in, Clayton gave up a possible 3-point attempt for a better shot for Martin, who drained it from long range. When the Terps cut their deficit to 55-49, All-America guard Walter Clayton Jr. found Aberdeen for a wide-open 3.The 6-foot-10, 255-pound sophomore had two dunks and a layup off nice feeds as the Gators had 6 assists on their first eight field goals to stake 52-42 lead.“That was a moment when we might have started wearing them down a little bit,” Golden said.Coach Todd Golden, back in San Fransisco for the first time since he left for UF three years ago, wasn’t looking ahead just yet following biggest win his young career.Chinyelu, who also had 10 points, was key as the Gators seized control.Winners of 27 straight when leading at halftime, Florida (33-4) rode a second-half surge ending with six Gators in double-figures, led by Will Richard with 15. Alijah Martin scored 11 of his 14 points after intermission, while Orlando’s Denzel Aberdeen added 12 points off the bench — 10 on 4 of 5 shooting in the second half as Florida pulled away.“Their bench really wore us down,’ coach Kevin Willard said.