By STEPHEN HAWKINS ‘
SAN ANTONIO — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending the Gators to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.
The All-America guard for the Gators (35-4) had a driving layup with 2:24 left, on the possession right after Australian big man Alex Condon drew a charge against Johni Broome, the other All-America player in this national semifinal — and who was dealing with an injured right elbow.
After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament, seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds.
The Gators will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC’s first title since Kentucky in 2012, the one one since they received in back-to-back seasons. Florida takes an 11-game successful streak into the title championship sport within the Alamodome in opposition to both Duke or Houston.
“We’re just all together, on the court and off the court,” Clayton mentioned.
Even on the finish of the primary SEC matchup in a Remaining 4, Clayton chased a free rebound and tipped it again inbounds to maintain the clock operating out on the win. When he began to stroll again on the courtroom, teammate Alijah Martin was standing watching him on the finish line nodding with a smile to greet him.
The Tigers (32-6), of their second Remaining 4 with coach Bruce Pearl, had been the highest general seed and had an eight-point halftime lead.
“Auburn had us on our heels in the first half but we came out with a great start and we didn’t look back,” mentioned 39-year-old Florida coach Todd Golden, who joined Pearl’s first workers at Auburn in 2014.
Clayton turned the primary participant with consecutive 30-point video games within the Elite Eight and semifinals since Larry Hen for Indiana State in 1979, in keeping with ESPN Stats. Clayton received over 30 together with his three-point play with 1:33 left, scoring on a layup whereas being fouled and including the free throw.
Martin, who performed within the Remaining 4 with FAU two years in the past, added 17 factors for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.
Florida opened the second half with a 13-3 run, with Clayton capping an 11-0 run with a layup after Rueben Chinyelu’s steal. That put the Gators up 51-49 with 15 1/2 minutes left.
Chad Baker-Mazara, together with his left hand partially wrapped due to a thumb challenge, led Auburn with 18 factors, together with 4 3-pointers. Broome completed with 15 factors on 6-of-14 taking pictures and had seven rebounds — he had solely three factors after halftime.
Even earlier than the ultimate buzzer sounded, Broome was hunched over after which was surrounded by cameras to seize his response. He finally stood as much as shake arms, then walked off the courtroom together with his eyes pink from crying — pulling up his jersey to wipe his face as cameras continued to observe his exit.
Broome and Baker-Mazara each had been injured within the win over Michigan State final Sunday that despatched the Tigers to the Remaining 4. Broome’s proper elbow bent awkwardly throughout a tough fall within the second half, and within the Remaining 4 he wore some sort of brace on his arm coated by a sleeve.
