Florida clinches fourth national championship game appearance after beating Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four

For the 4th clip successful schoolhouse history, the University of Florida Gators are headed to the nationalist title game.

Florida knocked disconnected No. 1 wide effect Auburn successful Saturday's Final Four matchup successful San Antonio, defeating the Tigers 79-73.

This is the 2nd clip this twelvemonth these 2 teams played, with Florida antecedently beating Auburn 90-81 connected the roadworthy successful the regular season.

The Gators were led by prima defender Walter Clayton Jr, who changeable 11-for-18 from the tract and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc to decorativeness with 32 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Meanwhile, Auburn prima and Player of the Year campaigner Johni Broome was held to conscionable 15 points and 7 rebounds - with conscionable 3 of those points coming successful the 2nd half.

Florida is backmost successful the rubric crippled for the archetypal clip since 2007 - erstwhile they won their 2nd of back-to-back nationalist championships. 

Auburn, meanwhile, has mislaid their 2nd Final Four crippled successful arsenic galore appearances. They past reached the Final Four successful 2019, falling to eventual nationalist champions Virginia.

The Tigers were led by Chad Baker-Mazara - who enactment up 18 points portion shooting 60 percent from the field. Fellow defender Denver Jones besides managed 10 points, but changeable 3-for-9 from the field.

Freshman Tahaad Pettiford, who has shown brilliance passim the play and has travel up clutch successful large moments, wasn't capable to nutrient that contiguous arsenic helium changeable 1-for-6 from the tract and lone had 7 points.

As for Florida, defender Alijah Martin is disconnected to his 2nd Final Four successful his vocation aft antecedently reaching this signifier with Florida Atlantic successful 2023. He mislaid connected a buzzer beater to San Diego State that year, but this time, his 17 points provided a large boost for the Gators.

Forward Thomas Haugh was the last Gator to deed double-digits arsenic helium enactment up 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Gators manager Todd Golden, who had antecedently been taxable to a stalking probe earlier this year, bushed his erstwhile brag - Auburn manager Bruce Pearl - to scope his archetypal nationalist rubric game. 

After going into halftime down 46-38, Florida held Auburn to conscionable 27 2nd fractional points. While the Gators changeable 50 percent from the tract successful the 2nd half, the Tigers lone managed to deed a 3rd of their shots.

It was successful the 2nd fractional wherever Clayton recovered his stride - hitting 6-of-9 shots (including 3-of-4 from deep) to enactment up 20 points and propulsion the Gators retired of their deficit. 

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