GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 19 points, graduate transfer Zyon Pullin, acting in a reserve role, scored 15 points and Florida beat Florida State 89-68 on Friday night.
Pullin was forced to sit out the first three games of the Gators’ season for taking part in exposure games during a spring workout for the NBA draft evaluation process. In his debut Friday, Pullin also grabbed five rebounds, distributed four assists and committed just one turnover. The 6-foot-4 point guard transferred from UC Riverside.
Tyrese Samuel scored 15 points, Riley Kugel 10 and Thomas Haugh grabbed 10 rebounds for Florida.
Cam Corhen scored 18 points for Florida State and Jamir Watkins 15.
Clayton made a 3-pointer nine minutes in and that gave Florida (3-1) its first 20-plus point lead of the night at 27-5. The Seminoles (2-1) didn’t reach double digits in scoring until Darin Green Jr.’s layup made it 36-11 with 8:18 before halftime.
Florida led 52-22 at halftime, shooting 64.3% (18 for 28) including 6 for 12 from 3-point range. The only shooting blemish occurred at the foul line where they went 10 of 17 (58.8%) at the stripe. Overall, Florida finished 30-for-58 (51.7%) shooting.
The Seminoles shot 8 for 30 (26.7%), including 1 for 9 (11.1%) from 3 and 5 for 11 (45.5%) from the foul line in the first half. Florida State finished 24-for-65 shooting overall.
Florida now leads the all-time series 46-29, including wins in each of the last two seasons after FSU reeled off a run of seven straight victories that marked the longest victory streak by either program in a series that dates to 1951.
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