SAN ANTONIO ― Florida basketball needed another rally to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
And again, the Florida Gators delivered, thanks to Walter Clayton Jr.
Clayton Jr. scored a career-high 34 points as Florida came back from down eight points at halftime to beat Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night at the Alamodome.
Florida (35-4) won its 11th straight and will move on to face the winner of Saturday night’s game between Duke and Houston in the national championship on Monday.
Florida trailed 46-38 at halftime and was down 49-40 early in the second half before going on an 11-0 run to take a 51-49 lead on a driving layup from Clayton.
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From there, the game went back and forth until Clayton took over late. First, he sank a big 3-pointer to put Florida up 69-65 with 4:29 left. Then, with 1:23 left and Florida up 71-68, Clayton converted on a driving layup as he was fouled and completed a three-point play to give UF a 74-68 lead.
Alijah Martin added 17 points for UF. Chad Baker-Mazzara led Auburn with 18 points, with Johni Broome adding 15 points. Broome scored 12 points in the first half, but Florida did a much better job shutting down the SEC Player of the Year in the second half, limiting him to three points.
Florida basketball takes slim lead into final TV timeout
Florida takes a slim 69-68 over Auburn into the final TV timeout of the game. Walter Clayton Jr. just sank a big 3-pointer and has 27 points for UF.
Florida basketball holds slim lead at third TV timeout of second half
Florida holds a 60-58 on Auburn with 7:47 left. Gators defending inside with more intensity in second half. Walter Clayton Jr. continues to carry offense with 24 points, with Alijah Martin adding 15 points for UF.
Auburn back up on Florida basketball at second TV timeout of second half
Auburn is back up 57-54 on Florida with 11:12 left in the second half. Walter Clayton Jr. (22 points) keeping the Gators in it with some incredible shots, now 8 of 12 from field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Florida defending better inside but Auburn still holds a 32-20 edge on points in the paint.
Florida basketball ties Auburn with 9-0 run
Florida goes on a 9-0 run to tie Florida 49-49 with 15:57 left. Run starts with a Will Richard three-point play on an offensive rebound and continued with back-to-back 3-pointers from Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin. Clayton with 17 points to lead UF, with Martin adding 13 points.
Florida basketball trails Auburn at the half
Florida basketball finds itself down 46-38 to Auburn at the half. Johni Broome having his way inside for Auburn with 12 points and 4 rebounds. Walter Clayton Jr. leads UF with 14 points. Auburn holds a 17-16 edge on the boards and 8-4 edge in second chance points. Tigers also dominating scoring inside with a 26-14 edge on points in the paint.
Auburn maintains slim lead on Florida basketball
Auburn remains up 33-29 on Florida with 3:33 left in the half. Clayton Jr. and Martin with 10 points apiece but Florida needs more from its supporting cast.
Auburn up on Florida basketball at third TV timeout
Auburn up 29-25 on Florida with 7:34 left in the half. Sophomore forward Alex Condon with more turnovers (2) than points (1). Alijah Martin with 10 points to lead UF, Walter Clayton Jr. with six points, but no assists.
Auburn still leads Florida basketball at second TV timeout
Auburn remains up 20-18 on Florida at second TV timeout. Tigers with four offensive rebounds in early going. Gators need to do a better job protecting defensive boards.
Auburn takes slim lead over Florida basketball into first TV timeout
Auburn takes a slim 16-14 lead over Florida at first TV timeout. Neither team having trouble shooting in the dome so far. Florida 5 of 9 from floor, 3 of 4 from 3. Clayton Jr. with six points to lead UF.
Florida basketball in road blue jerseys
Florida basketball will wear its road blue jerseys as the lower national seed. Auburn will wear its home white jerseys.
Auburn basketball starters
G Kelly, G Jones, F Baker-Mazara, F Broome, C Cardwell
Florida basketball starters
G Clayton. G Martin, G Richard, F Condon, C Chinyelu
Officials for Florida basketball vs Auburn
Officials: Roger Ayers, Tony Padilla, Courtney Green
Florida basketball vs Auburn start time, location
- Start time: 6:09 p.m. ET
- Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas (cap. 68.000)
What channel is Florida basketball vs Auburn game on today?
Radio: Gator Radio Network
TV channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount Plus and Fubo, which offers a free trail for new subscribers.
Florida basketball vs Auburn prediction
Florida 88, Auburn 83: It’s hard to beat a high-caliber program twice, but Florida will find a way. Clayton will make more big shots and UF’s four-player post rotation will play physical enough inside to neutralize Broome. Florida will advance to the national title game for the first time since 2007.
Florida basketball vs Auburn betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday afternoon
- Spread: Florida -2.5
- Over/Under: 159.5 points
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