In a game that showcased their season-long resilience, the Florida Gators punched their ticket to the national championship game with a hard-fought 79-73 victory over Auburn in the Final Four. Throughout this tournament run, the Gators have proven time and again that no deficit is too large to overcome.
MORE: Gators Dance Into National Championship Game Behind Clayton’s Historic Performance
“The heart and just toughness both physically, mentally that these guys showed today was incredible,” reflected Coach Golden after the game. It’s this mental fortitude that has become the hallmark of a team that has now won an astounding 11 straight games.
Walter Clayton Jr. continued his historic tournament run, pouring in a career-high 34 points. The performance wasn’t just impressive – it was historic. Clayton became the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to record back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and National Semifinals. His teammates describe him as “poised, calm and collected, confident in himself,” as Will Richard put it. “We have that confidence in him. We see him practice, see his work ethic”.
The turning point came after halftime, when Florida, trailing 49-40, orchestrated a momentum-shifting 11-0 run to take the lead. Thomas Haugh revealed that Clayton himself rallied the team during the break: “Walt kind of got our bigs together at halftime and gave us a nice little pep talk”. The team’s response was immediate, as Alijah Martin explained, “We know what we need to do. We just had to trust each other, play harder, get the job done”.
The Gators’ defense, which struggled initially, found its rhythm in the second half. “They controlled the game in the first half. We stuck around and we were hanging in, but we kind of felt like we were getting knocked around a little bit. We controlled the game in the second half,” Golden explained.
Complementing Clayton’s stellar performance, Alijah Martin added 17 points, while Thomas Haugh contributed 12 valuable points off the bench. The team’s balanced attack and depth proved crucial, as Florida dominated the boards with a 39-30 rebounding advantage.
The victory marks Florida’s fourth trip to the national championship game, setting up a showdown with Houston. As the Gators prepare for Monday night’s championship game, they carry with them not just the hopes of their fanbase, but the spirit of resilience that has defined their remarkable journey.
“These guys are just trying to win a championship,” Golden said of his team’s selfless approach. On Monday night, they’ll have their chance to do exactly that.
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