Martin gave Gators needed jolt

New York Times

06-04-2025

Florida will play in the national championship game for the first time since 2007
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Walter Clayton Jr. was not the only Florida guard providing a vital spark to the Gators tonight. Alijah Martin showed off his Final Four experience from Florida Atlantic two years ago with 17 points, including two massive second-half dunks in transition to fire up the Gators side of the arena as Florida clung to a narrow lead.
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Florida's incredible defensive turnaround, summed up in two first half-second half splits:
Auburn had 46 points in the first half and 27 in the second half.
Auburn had two turnovers in the first half and 12 in the second half.
What a second-half performance from Todd Golden's Gators.
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Walter Clayton Jr credited his Florida teammates for the continued trust they have in his abilities.
"I got a bunch of guys around me that trust me," Clayton said in a postgame interview on CBS. "We're so together as a team, we spend so much time together and just love each other as a team."
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For the second straight year, a team that lost in the first round of the previous men's NCAA Tournament has come all the way back to clinch a spot in the national championship game.
Last year, that was Purdue, who finished as runner-up to UConn a year after their stunning loss as a No. 1 seed to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
This time, it's Florida, who lost to Colorado on a buzzer beater as a No. 7 seed last year.
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In case you'd ever wondered what it may have looked like if Stephen Curry had gotten that 2010 Davidson team to the Final Four, we're seeing the closest thing to it in Florida's Walter Clayton Jr.
On a night where several stars on both sides seemed uncustomarily nervous and struggled to make shots, the First Team All-American Clayton shone brightest, becoming the 15th player in the modern era to score 30 or more points in a men's Final Four game.
Clayton finished with 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-8 from the 3-point line.
Hamilton W: War Eagle Anyways. Good game Florida. Good luck in the next round.
Robert K: Gators squashed Broome after halftime. That's your story. Exceptional defense by Golden's men.
Chris E: Auburn collapsed in the second half.
Larry C: Clayton Jr.! 👀 my goodness…mercy, mercy me! Praise the lord 🙌
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The SEC's return to the national title game was set in stone already, but now we know it will be Florida representing the powerhouse conference. It's the SEC's first trip to the national championship game since Kentucky finished as the runner-up to UConn in 2014, two years after the Wildcats won the SEC's last national title in 2012.
Final - Florida 79, Auburn 73
Haugh misses both free throws but Chinyelu gets the offensive rebound. Clayton is fouled moments later and makes both free throws. Pettiford misses a three, Clayton gets the rebound and this ballgame is over.
The Gators are headed to the national championship game.
For the life of me, I'll never understand why basketball teams don't run more football passing routes on out-of-bounds plays. Somebody always gets open and you can run a fairly natural pick play that even initiates contact, which frequently gets called as pass interference in football.
2nd 18.0 - Florida 77, Auburn 73
Pettiford tries to throw it down but Condon fouls him. He makes both shots at the line.
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Auburn's second half includes one Johni Broome basket, 8-for-23 shooting, 12 turnovers and a dreadful 25 points on .714 points per possession. This game is about Walter Clayton Jr., first and foremost, but give a nod to Todd Golden's defensive adjustments to totally change the feel of this game.
2nd 24.0- Florida 77, Auburn 71
Jones creates a turnover to give Auburn possession. Kelly launches a three but it doesn't go. Haugh gets the rebound and is fouled, splitting a pair at the line.
2nd 31.0- Florida 76, Auburn 71
Clayton attempts to inbound the ball but has nowhere to go and Florida uses another timeout.
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2nd 31.0- Florida 76, Auburn 71
After an Auburn turnover, Haugh throws up a hook shot as he's fouled and it goes. He misses the free throw and Baker-Mazara knocks down a three on the other end.
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Auburn has committed 12 of its 14 turnovers in the second half.
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2nd 1:33 - Florida 74, Auburn 68
Clayton floats in a tough bucket off glass as he's fouled. His free throw is good.
Florida's Alex Condon, and Auburn's Denver Jones and Chaney Johnson all have four personal fouls.
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Just a reminder that Walter Clayton Jr. had no Power Four/Five offers to play basketball coming out of high school ... but he did have quite a few to play football. Seems he chose the correct sport.
Officials were reviewing to see if there was a hook and hold on that last stoppage. No common foul was called in real time, meaning officials could only rule it a Flagrant 1. Since Florida challenged the call, it now loses a 30-second timeout and is down to one timeout left. Auburn has three in the pocket with 1:58 left. Could prove pretty costly in a game that looks destined to go down to the final possessions.