Two SEC powerhouses faced off in the Alamodome with a trip to the National Championship on the line. Auburn and Florida, both No. 1 seeds and conference champions in different respects, added another exciting chapter to their rivalry in their latest meeting in the Final Four.
The contest between the regular-season champion Tigers and the tournament-winning Gators lived up to its billing. A game that was fueled by elite shot-making, lead changes, and tense late-game drama, the first Final Four game of the day proved why many consider this season’s SEC to be one of the greatest in history.
A Fast Start In San Antonio
Auburn opened the game with energy, taking control early through composed and well-executed play. Miles Kelly and Denver Jones pushed the tempo of the game, while Johni Broome did what he does best anchored the defense and asserted himself early on the inside.
The Tigers built a modest lead in the opening 10 minutes, but a foul by Kelly on Will Richard allowed Florida to retake the lead in the first half at 23-22. It marked Richard’s first points, all from the free-throw line, and gave the Gators their first true momentum swing of the game.
However, Auburn quickly recovered with a 7-2 run sparked by Kelly and Jones again, gaining back the lead at 29-25 by the under-eight timeout mark. The Tigers were able to carry, both the lead and momentum into halftime, extending their advantage to 46-38 thanks to Broome’s dominant first-half performance and timely shot-making by the Auburn backcourt.
Florida Roars Back
Right out of the half, Florida wasted little time erasing its halftime deficit, coming out aggressive and precise offensively. Walter Clayton Jr. led the way for the Gators’ offense, going on an 11-0 run that tied the game at 49 early in the second half.
Richard converted a three-point play to stifle Florida’s run, but threes from Clayton and Alijah Martin stopped the bleeding. Auburn appeared shell-shocked by the comeback by Florida. They called a timeout to regroup as their once-firm lead was gone.
Although the Gators were ahead briefly, Auburn managed to fight back and reclaim a two-point lead midway through the second half. Still, Florida’s depth and relentless pace offensively wore down the Tigers’ defense. This allowed the Gators to take a 60-58 lead by the under-eight break of the second half.
Crunch Time Belongs To the Gators
Auburn clawed within one with just over three minutes remaining in the game, but their offense began to sputter down the stretch. Florida capitalized off this as Alex Condon hit two free throws to push the lead to three. Then Clayton Jr. delivered the play of the night. With 1:33 left, Clayton Jr. converted a strong driving layup while drawing contact. His free throw capped the three-point play giving Florida a six-point cushion at 74-68, swinging the momentum decisively in their favor.
Then Auburn’s final chances to make one last attempt at the win slipped away after Broome missed both free throws in the final minutes. Chad Baker-Mazara later hit a three, but Auburn missed their next attempt after a key possession arrow favored the Tigers. Florida sealed the win at the line earning a 79-73 victory in their Final Four game.
Final Thoughts
Clayton Jr. continued his legendary run through this year’s tournament with another iconic performance scoring 34 points to guide the Gators into the National Title Game. This is now back-to-back games with 30+ plus from Clayton Jr., which makes him the first player with back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight or later of a single NCAA Tournament since Larry Bird did it back in 1979.
On the other side of this game, Auburn’s season has now come to an end. It was a season filled with dominant stretches and conference supremacy, and after their top player Broome’s quiet second half, they ultimately came up short of reaching the championship game. Florida will now advance to compete for its third National Championship in school history on Monday, April 7 at 8:50 p.m. EST against the winner between Houston and Duke.
