Walter Clayton’s 34-point and a stellar second-half showing pushed Florida to the program’s first title game appearance since 2007.
This Florida team has rarely made it easy for itself in the NCAA Tournament.
Naturally, the Gators needed another second-half rally to advance to the national championship game. But that’s exactly what they did en route to a thrilling 79-73 victory over Auburn on Saturday.
Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 34 points, the most by any player in the Final Four since Carmelo Anthony had 33 for Syracuse in 2003. He also became the first player to score at least 30 points in back-to-back games in the Elite Eight and Final Four since Larry Bird did so in 1979.
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Alijah Martin (17 points) and Thomas Haugh (12) also scored in double figures for the Gators, but Clayton’s all-time performance was the engine that drove Florida.
“I just let the game come to me,” Clayton said. “I know I got a bunch of other guys around me who are threats, also. If you try to double me, Tommy [Haugh] hit that three in the first half, loosened up their defense a little bit, they went away from me. Just reading and reacting to the defense.”
Auburn controlled the game in the first half and threatened to blow the game open on several occasions. Florida found ways to stick around and stay within striking distance, yet the Tigers went into the locker room with an eight-point lead.
Denver Jones extends Auburn's lead with an and-1!
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Five Tigers have already made multiple field goals.pic.twitter.com/3CgW2UJoZ6
The Gators managed to flip the game in the first five minutes of the second half. They ripped off an 11-0 run to turn a nine-point deficit into a 51-49 lead. That served as Florida’s 36th “Kill Shot” (a 10-0 run or more) of the season – only Duke has had more such runs this season.
“We were able to turn up our pressure a little bit defensively,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “Got them on their heels offensively. We started just guarding more physically in the paint, making it harder for them to put us in the basket. Got some clean rebounds out in transition.
“I thought after the first two minutes of the second half we did that consistently. All three facets — defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball — that led to that run and victory.”
A back-and-forth battle ensued with neither team leading by more than four points up until the final four minutes. That was when the Gators went on another run, scoring seven consecutive points to put the game away.
THOMAS HAUGH!
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A huge basket gives the Gators a three-possession lead in the final minute.pic.twitter.com/toRyKMO8vX
The game script was eerily similar to the other two games in the NCAA Tournament in which Florida faced a second-half deficit. The Gators trailed by six points against UConn in the second round only to go on a 14-3 run in closing minutes to take over the game. They also trailed Texas Tech by 10 in the Elite Eight but ripped off an 18-6 run in the final 2:50 to win that game.
Monday will be Florida’s fourth appearance in the national championship and the first since it won the second of back-to-back titles in 2007.