What Happened
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Gators appeared to be finished late in Saturday night's Elite Eight game against Texas Tech. And then they scripted one of the most amazing finishes in program history.
No. 1-seed Florida advanced to the Final Four with a thrilling 84-79 comeback win over the No. 3-seed Red Raiders in the West Region championship game, closing on an 18-4 run over the final three minutes to win its 10th consecutive game and advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2014.
Sophomore
Thomas Haugh, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, ignited the comeback with back-to-back 3-pointers to trim Texas Tech's nine-point lead (75-66) to 75-72. Haugh made 4 of 6 from 3-point range on a night the senior guard trio of
Walter Clayton Jr.,
Alijah Martin and
Will Richard had trouble shooting.
Still, Clayton got hot at the most important time of the season. His 3-pointer with 1:47 remaining tied the game and stunned the Red Raiders, who regrouped and regained the lead on a basket by Darrion Williams with 1:23 left. But Clayton Jr. and the Gators would not be denied.
Clayton Jr. hit another 3-pointer for a 78-77 Florida lead with 59 seconds remaining, and Martin added a pair of free throws, followed by a pair of free throws by Clayton to put the Gators up 82-77.
That's your ballgame.
Clayton finished with a team-high 30 points by hitting 7 of 14 from the floor -- 3-for-8 from behind the arc -- and making 13 of 14 free throws. He did not score until there was 8:47 left in the first half.
The dramatic finish kept the Gators' season alive and prompted a mid-court celebration as the Gators left the court winners for the 16th time in their last 17 games.
"They stayed the course. Never too high, never too low,'' Gators coach
Todd Golden told TBS. "That's what we did all year, find a way to win these games. They stepped up down the stretch."
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
What it Means
Florida advances to the Final Four for the sixth time in program history and first time in 11 years. The other UF teams to advance to the Final Four: 1994, 2000, 2006 (national champions), 2007 (national champions) and 2014.
In the Spotlight
Clayton came through in the clutch like he has so many times for the Gators, but Haugh's contributions must not be overlooked in a game Texas Tech dictated much of the action. Haugh had a team-high 12 points at halftime to help the Gators take a 40-37 lead at the break. And then his back-to-back bombs late in the game sparked the comeback.
Staggering Statistic
The Gators were 5 of 20 from behind the arc until Haugh and Clayton finished on fire. The Gators made their final four shots from distance to finish 9 of 24 for the game.
Up Next
The Gators (34-4) face the winner between No. 1-seed Auburn (31-5) vs. No. 2-seed Michigan State (30-6) at the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. The Tigers and Spartans play in Atlanta on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. ET.
Senior writer Scott Carter contributed to this report. Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu.
