SAN ANTONIO — Walter Clayton Jr. is having an NCAA Event for the ages. Florida now simply wants him to ship yet another time.
The Gators lastly are getting a shot at one other nationwide championship after one other particular efficiency from their All-America guard.
Clayton scored 34 factors with 5 3-pointers, giving him the primary consecutive 30-point video games this deep within the tourney since Larry Chicken, and Florida beat Southeastern Convention rival Auburn 79-73 within the Closing 4 on Saturday night time. The Gators are going to the nationwide championship recreation for the primary time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.
“Clayton was the distinction. He was simply flat out the distinction,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl stated. “We couldn’t include him down that finish.”
No group has in opposition to the main scorer on this NCAA Event. He’s the primary participant with 30-point video games each the the Elite Eight and semifinals since Chicken for Indiana State in 1979, in line with ESPN Stats.
“He’s poised, calm and picked up, assured in himself. We’ve got that confidence in him,” Gators guard Will Richard stated. “We see him follow, see his work ethic. We’re glad all people else is attending to see him do it in a recreation.”
The Gators (35-4) obtained this far solely after Clayton rallied them twice on this match. He scored 13 of his 23 factors within the last eight minutes in a 77-75 win within the second spherical that ended UConn’s pursuit of a 3rd nationwide title in a row, then had two late 3s final Sunday after they got here from 9 factors down with lower than three minutes left to beat Texas Tech.
“I’m simply used to seeing him put the ball within the basket, I assume,” Gators coach Todd Golden stated. “However he’s executed what he’s executed all 12 months for us. In massive moments, stepped up, hit large pictures, settled our group down and made profitable performs once we wanted it probably the most.”
Clayton had a driving layup with 2:24 left within the nationwide semifinal, on the possession proper after Australian massive man Alex Condon drew a cost in opposition to Johni Broome, the opposite All-America participant within the recreation — and who was coping with an injured proper elbow.
The primary SEC matchup in a Closing 4 ended with Clayton chasing down a unfastened rebound and tipping 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.
“We’re simply all collectively, on the courtroom and off the courtroom,” Clayton stated.
After a report 14 SEC groups made this NCAA Event, seven obtained to the Candy 16 earlier than the league made up half the Elite Eight after which this Closing 4 stuffed with No. 1 seeds.
Florida can have the prospect Monday night time to win the SEC’s first title since Kentucky in 2012, the one one because the Gators received in back-to-back seasons. They take an 11-game profitable streak into the title championship recreation within the Alamodome in opposition to both Duke or Houston.
Martin, who performed within the Closing 4 with FAU two years in the past, added 17 factors for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.
The Tigers, of their second Closing 4 with Pearl, had been the highest total seed and had an eight-point halftime lead.
“Auburn had us on our heels within the first half however we got here out with an awesome begin and we didn’t look again,” stated the 39-year-old Golden, who joined Pearl’s first employees at Auburn in 2014.
Florida opened the second half with a 13-3 run, with Clayton capping that with a layup after Rueben Chinyelu’s steal. That put the Gators up 51-49 with 15 1/2 minutes left.
After eight lead adjustments and 6 ties within the first 11:02 of the sport, Auburn stretched out to as a lot as a nine-point lead earlier than halftime, and led till Florida ended its massive spurt with 11 consecutive factors. There have been 15 lead adjustments and 10 ties.
Chad Baker-Mazara, along 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 within the Tigers’ second loss to Florida this season.
Broome was hunched over even earlier than the ultimate buzzer, after which was surrounded by cameras to seize his response. He ultimately stood as much as shake arms, then walked off the courtroom along with his eyes purple from crying — pulling up his jersey to wipe his face as cameras continued to comply with his exit.
Baker-Mazara and Broome each had been injured within the win over Michigan State final Sunday that despatched the Tigers to the Closing 4. Broome’s proper elbow bent awkwardly throughout a tough fall within the second half, and within the Closing 4 he wore some form of brace on his arm lined by a sleeve.
“My elbow felt tremendous going into the sport. Clearly right here and there it bothered me a bit bit. However, I imply, nothing that I couldn’t play with,” Broome stated. “I really feel like we obtained the appears that we needed to get. I wasn’t in a position to capitalize and end them.”
