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Myron medcalf
San Antonio – Whenever things begin to disintegrate, Florida turns to his star.
And this is in those moments when the best version Walter Clayton jr. will show up.
It happened again on Saturday when Clayton took it to himself – again – to destroy Auburn’s dreams and send Tigers 1 seeds total. Late 3-point Hra-Kbelík and free throw from the layout of the ride-the victory for the determined Florida group.
8 February Clayton scored 19 points and made 50 percent of his three-point attempts to win the road 90-81 over Auburn. He was even better on Saturday.
With the performance Clayton became the first player with 30-point games in elite eight and national semifinals by Larra Bird in 1979, according to ESPN Research.
“We are all together, in the court court,” Clayton said.
At the beginning of this week, Alijah Martin He said Clayton’s gift is that it seems that they will never panic in the cruelest moments.
“He’s always calm,” Martin said this week. “He’s just calm.”
During the NCAA tournament, Florida found herself with her back against the wall – against Uconn, Maryland, Texas Tech and Auburn on Saturday.
By nine points at the beginning of the second half, Gators turned to his hero, who expanded his postseason display of back shots as Florida from another hole. Gators now advanced to the first national title match of the program since 2007, when they won the Back-to-Back Championship.
Martin, Robin to Clayton Batman all year round and the last four participant Florida Atlantic in 2023, had a series of games in the second half of the Florida fans in Alamodome. His post (17 points) cannot be overlooked. But Saturday – and the whole NCAA tournament really belonged to Clayton.
In the first half, seven Auburn players, including All-American Johnni Broome, gained at least four points and the tigers got an octagonal lead. At the beginning of the second half, Gators were up to nine points. But after the rush of the Her- the species that seems to always carry their backs against the wall-gators the game tied the game.
“Auburn had us in the first half on the heels, but we went out with a great start and we didn’t look back,” said 39 -year -old coach Florida Todd Golden, who joined the first Pearla staff in Auburn in 2014.
Broome, who dealt with the persistent injury of the elbows, ended with 15 points, but had three after half -time. Before the last buzzer sounded, the wooden price was summarized and was then surrounded by cameras to capture his reaction. Finally, he got up to shook his hands, then left the playground with his eyes from the red cry – pulled his jersey to wipe his face as the cameras continued to follow.
It turned out that it was such a night for Auburn. Bruce Pearl’s nightmare came true.
“Clayton was the best guard on the floor every night,” Pearl said on Friday. “Clayton can’t be the best guard on the floor tomorrow.”
But he was.
The final result was not a mystery as soon as Clayton became extraordinary in the second half.
In San Antonio, Florida, Walter Clayton Jr.
Auburn not.
Associated Press contributed to this story.
