Auburn Reacts to Florida's Win in Final Four

The Florida Gators advanced to the national championship with a 79-73 win over the Tigers.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points as the Florida Gators punched their ticket to the national championship. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

SAN ANTONIO-- Depth, defense and Walter Clayton Jr. paved the way for the Florida Gators in a 79-73 win over Auburn in Saturday's Final Four.

Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl said as much after Auburn turned the ball over 12 times in the second half, star forward/center Johni Broome was shut down without any answers and Clayton Jr. scored a game-high 34 points.

"Second half, Florida's effort and energy, the fact that we're not as deep as what we normally are, was a factor," Pearl said. "I thought fatigue was a factor. As a result, we weren't able to maintain control of the game, which I think if we had taken care of the basketball a little bit, not turned it over, not given them easy ones, we could have been in position to win the basketball game."

Holding a 46-38 advantage at halftime, Auburn saw its lead disappear as the Gators went on an 11-0 run early in the second half to take the lead. Highlight plays from Alijah Martin with fast-break dunks and multiple strong finishes in the paint form Clayton Jr. sparked Florida late.

"Honestly, I just feel like we probably just felt fatigue a little bit," Denver Jones said. "Turned the ball over. Had a lot of careless turnovers that in the first half we didn't really have. I feel like that's what just what gave them the part to take the lead."

Clayton Jr. continued a string of big-time performances with his efforts. His 34 points set a new program-high for points in a Final Four, were the most by a single player in a national semifinal since 1989 and marked the first time since Larry Bird that a player scored 30 points in back-to-back games past the Elite Eight.

"Well, he's a great player. He can go both ways. He can make tough shots," Pearl said. "About the only thing, again, I probably should have done more is trap the ball out of his hands a little bit. Believe it or not, that was part of our game plan, but we just didn't execute it. Like just sort of you say all things are kind of equal. Clayton was the difference. He was just flat out the difference. We couldn't contain him down that end."

As Auburn's season comes to an end, the Gators' continues with one more matchup left in the season. Monday's national championship against Houston tips off at 8:50 p.m. ET with television coverage on CBS.

"Just so, so proud of my team, my players, my staff," UF head coach Todd Golden said. "Just done an incredible job all year with their preparation and approach on a daily basis. Obviously a great accomplishment for our program to make it here to the Final Four. But the heart and just toughness both physically, mentally that these guys showed today was incredible."