No. 6 Florida powers past Stetson

Alijah Martin scored 18 points and Will Richard added 17 on 8-of-11 shooting as No. 6 Florida coasted past Stetson 85-45 on Sunday in Gainesville, Fla.Walter Clayton Jr. paired 12 points with seven assists for the Gators (13-0), who completed a perfect nonconference slate and will begin Southeastern Conference play with three straight matchups against currently ranked opponents. Florida shot 50.7 percent overall and held a 34-2 advantage in fast-break points.Mehki Ellison scored 15 points to lead the Hatters (2-11), who finished 26.5 percent from the floor and fell to 0-3 this season against SEC foes. Jordan Wood added eight points and Daniel Macgregor netted seven.The Gators built an early double-digit lead by knocking down six of their first nine field-goal attempts. Back-to-back triples by Clayton and Thomas Haugh capped a string of four straight Florida makes that boosted the Gators ahead 17-5.Florida stretched the margin by knocking down two more 3-pointers while generating multiple easy looks at the rim, including a fast-break flush from Richard that made it 33-14 with 5:36 left in the first half.Stetson rallied with eight straight points to pull within 11, but the Gators regained control by closing the half with a 13-5 run. Richard punctuated an eight-point flurry during that stretch with a one-handed transition dunk, putting Florida up 46-24.