By Joshua Miranda
Sports Capital Journalism Program
SAN ANTONIO — And just like that, history repeated itself.
The Florida Gators defeated the Auburn Tigers 79-73, to advance to NCAA championship game for the first time since 2007 and the fourth in school history.
With their second victory over Auburn in less than two months, the Gators (35-4) will meet the Houston Cougars, who defeated Duke, on Monday night.
Walter Clayton Jr. was the star of the night, delivering the biggest scoring performance of his college career. Clayton’s 34 points, following his 30-point effort in the regional final victory over Texas Tech, made him the first player with consecutive 30-point games in the Elite Eight and national semifinals since Larry Bird of Indiana State in 1979. He made 62.5% of his 3-point shots and 60% inside the arc.
The day before the game, Clayton had said his introduction to March Madness was watching Kemba Walker lead UConn to an unexpected national championship 14 years ago.
“Kemba on one of the biggest stages was calm, cool and collected,” Clayton said after the game. “Just watching that, I kind of admired that. He was able to zone himself out, just play his game.”
Now that the stage belongs to Clayton, the transfer from Iona, he continued to make Florida basketball history. He became Florida’s top single-season scorer with 702 points, passing the total of 676 set by Andy Owens in 1970. Clayton’s 3-point basket 43 seconds into the game extended his streak to a school-record 61 consecutive games.
Alijah Martin scored 10 of his 17 points in the first half. Thomas Haugh scored 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting, with seven rebounds.
Auburn (32-6) lost for just the fourth time this season when three players scored in double digits. Johni Broome, the senior first-team All-American, was stifled by Florida’s defense. Broome scored 15 points, his 31st game this season in double figures. But he was limited to just three, on 1-of-4 shooting, in the final 20 minutes.
With 8:58 to go in the half Auburn began to pull away, going on a 7-2 run. Clayton, who had 14 points in the first half, drove into the paint for a layup that brought the Gators within two points. That layup also tied Owens’ 55-year-old Florida single-season scoring record, a mark Clayton broke just 2:16 later.
Clayton wasn’t thinking about records. He was thinking about the game. “I know I got a bunch of other guys around me who are threats also,” he said. “If you try to double me, Tommy (Haugh) hit that three in the first half, loosened up their defense a little bit, they went away from me. Just read and reacting to the defense. I know I got weapons around me.”
The Gators struggled to defend Auburn’s aggressive paint touches and couldn’t find consistency from beyond the arc. After making their first three 3-point attempts, they missed the next six. At halftime, Broome had 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks. The Tigers outscored the Gators by 12 in the paint and led by eight.
But this was a game of two halves.
In most situations, having a lead is a good thing — but not against the Gators. They thrive when they’re trailing. Auburn stretched the lead to nine, but that’s when the Gators began their onslaught, going on a 13-3 run to take the lead. Broome’s and-one slowed the momentum, but after that, his presence faded.
Martin, who had a strong first half, kept it going in the second. He threw down a pair of thunderous dunks that ignited the Florida crowd. Despite Alex Condon having little offensive impact, scoring one point on 0-for-5 shooting, he knew his team had plenty of scorers ready to step up.
“We got a lot of scorers on our team,” said Condon, a projected NBA draft pick who struggled but was never in doubt about what his teammates could do for the team. “So I know I don’t have to go out there and score 20 points every night,” he said.
The game stayed close throughout, featuring 15 lead changes and 10 ties. But the underrated duo of Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu gave the Gators exactly what they needed. They combined for 17 points and 16 rebounds — five of them offensive — along with two blocks. Florida was plus-17 with them on the floor. They were also instrumental in holding the Broome, the SEC Player of the Year, to just three points in the second half.
But the man who stood out was still Walter Clayton Jr.
He fell just one point shy of tying the most points ever scored by a Gator in an NCAA tournament game. And considering he’s posted back-to-back 30-point games and increased his scoring from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight to the Final Four, it’s hard to predict what he might have in store for the national championship.
On Clayton’s historic night, his teammates were asked to describe his game in one word.
“I’ll just say special, to be honest,” said Will Richard. “He’s special.”
“Special,” Haugh agreed.
“Special,” Martin said.
