In a performance that will be etched in Florida basketball lore, the Gators punched their ticket to the national championship game with a gritty 79-73 victory over Auburn in the Final Four at San Antonio’s Alamodome. The win sets up a showdown with Houston on Monday night, as Florida aims for their third national title in program history.
The night belonged to Walter Clayton Jr., who delivered a masterclass with 34 points, cementing his place in basketball history as the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to post back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and Final Four. His remarkable achievement didn’t stop there – Clayton broke Florida’s 55-year-old single-season scoring recordand set a new school mark for points in a single NCAA Tournament with 123, surpassing Joakim Noah’s previous record of 97.
When asked about his historic run, Clayton remained characteristically humble: “Honestly, to be honest with you, I don’t really, like — I guess you could say I haven’t really had time to reflect on what I’ve been doing. I’ve just been focused on us winning game, winning games with these guys”.
The game itself was a testament to Florida’s resilience. Down 49-40, the Gators orchestrated a pivotal 11-0 run to take the lead at 51-49 with 15:30 remaining. The contest featured 15 lead changes and 10 ties, showcasing the intensity of this Final Four battle.
Supporting Clayton’s heroics, Alijah Martin contributed 17 points while Thomas Haugh added 12 crucial points off the bench. Martin also reached a personal milestone, surpassing 2,000 career points.
Head coach Todd Golden, who has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in just three years at Florida, reflected on his team’s composure: “I think it starts with our perimeter. Walt, Will and Alijah, senior leaders, guys that have been through the fire a little bit before. Great players with really, really a high level of confidence. They just kind of breathe it into the rest of the team”.
The victory marks Florida’s 11th straight win and their 17th in their last 18 games. During this remarkable streak, the Gators have been an offensive juggernaut, averaging 89.5 points per game. Their season total of 35 wins now ties for the second-most in program history.
Making the day even more special for Florida basketball, former coach Billy Donovan was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee. Current coach Golden acknowledged the significance: “I actually saw Coach Donovan kind of behind our bench right before the second half started. I was thinking how amazing it was that he’s here, a guy that is the face of Florida basketball, had such an amazing career in Gainesville… He raised the bar pretty high at Florida”.
As the Gators prepare for their championship showdown with Houston, they continue to demonstrate their ability to overcome adversity. Despite not playing their most polished basketball – struggling with Auburn’s physicality in the paint and falling behind early in the second half- this Florida team has shown an uncanny ability to adjust, persevere, and find ways to win when it matters most. Their “unflappability,” as Coach Golden puts it, might just be the key ingredient in their quest for a national title.
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