The No. 1 seed in the West Region Florida Gators(32-4) will take on the No. 4 seed Maryland Terrapins(27-8) in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game will take place Thursday evening in San Francisco, California.
The Gators survived a late run by back-to-back National Champions UConn Huskies. Maryland won in a thrilling fashion. Forward Derik Queen made a shot with a second left to keep the Terrapins dancing. Which team wins and punches their ticket to the Elite Eight?
Florida Survives and Advances
The UConn Huskies showed their championship mettle against the Gators on Sunday. The second half was close throughout, but the Gators were able to win 77-72. UF was down for most of the second half but out-executed the Huskies down the stretch.
Florida had a solid game offensively. They shot 46% from the field and 47.4% from three-point range. Their offense was led by Guard Walter Clayton Jr. He scored a game-high 23 points and has been historic in the NCAA Tournament. Guard Alijah Martin added 18 points to help lead the Gators to victory. Another solid offensive performance is imperative for the Gators to succeed.
Maryland Wins In Thrilling Fashion
The Terrapins were locked in a close game with Colorado State all second half. Maryland overcame a 7-point halftime deficit to advance. Queen knocked down a game-winner to put the Terps through to the next round. The lead changed hands multiple times in the second half, but the Terrapins prevailed 72-71.
Queen led Maryland with 17 points. The difference in the game was Maryland knocking down five more three-pointers. They shot 41.9% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range. Maryland’s offense will need to be strong to upset the Florida Gators.
Final Thoughts
Florida is a 6.5-point favorite in a matchup expected to be a high-scoring contest. Both teams will be riding high coming into California following exciting 2nd round victories. Both team’s have been led by their offense in the opening rounds. The winner of this Sweet 16 matchup will be which defense can come up with key stops late in the contest. Florida will win a close game to advance to the Elite 8.
