Records: Florida 35-4, 14-4 SEC; Auburn 32-6, 15-3 SEC
Next Up: Monday, April 7, San Antonio, CBS, 8:50 p.m. EDT, vs. (1) Duke or (1) Houston
Notable
* Walter Clayton’s career-high 34 points propelled the Gators into the national championship game for the fourth time in program history.
* Down 49-40, Florida went on a 11-0 run to take the lead at 51-49 with 15:30 left.
* The game featured 15 lead changes and 10 ties.
* Alijah Martin scored 17 points, and Thomas Haugh added 12 off the bench.
* Florida owned a 39-30 rebounding advantage, led by Rueben Chinyelu’s nine.
* Clayton has averaged 26.0 points (156 total) in six NCAA Tournament games as a Gator.
* Clayton is the first player to record back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and National Semifinals since Larry Bird in 1979.
* Florida advances to its fourth national championship game in program history, and Todd Golden becomes the second coach to lead the Gators there. Billy Donovan led the other three, winning twice (2006, 2007) and losing once (2000).
* In his eight postseason games this season spanning the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Clayton has averaged 23.1 points per game and shot .492 from 3-point range with 4.0 3-point field goals per game.
* Florida extended its single-season record with its 11th top-25 win, nine of which have come vs. teams in the top 12. Eight of those ranked wins have come since March 1.
* Florida has won 11 games in a row and 17 of its last 18. During its 11-game win streak, UF is averaging 89.5 points per game.
* Clayton has scored 702 points this season and tonight broke Florida’s 55-year-old single-season scoring record, topping Andy Owens’ 676 points scored in 1969-70.
* Clayton also set Florida’s school record for points in a single NCAA Tournament, now at 123, surpassing Joakim Noah’s 97 in the 2006 tournament.
* Clayton’s 156 total NCAA Tournament points as a Gator ranks #7 in school history, passing Al Horford, Patric Young and Scottie Wilbekin tonight. Clayton has done so in just six games, while every other player in UF’s top 10 appeared in at least 13 NCAA Tournament games.
* Alijah Martin eclipsed the 2,000-point career scoring mark during Saturday’s game. He now sits at 2,015 points, including 539 this season at UF.
* Clayton extended his streak to 61 straight appearances with a 3-pointer. His 116 3-point field goals this season are the second-most in program history (Michael Frazier II, 118, 2013-14).
* Florida has gone 7-2 this season in top-10 matchups, knocking off the fourth-ranked Tigers. Prior to this season, the Gators had gone 6-16 all-time in top-10 matchups.
* Florida’s 35 wins tie for second-most in program history (36, 2013-14; 35, 2006-07).
* Florida improved to 3-2 vs. Auburn under Golden.
* The Gators are now 1-1 in SEC matchups in the NCAA Tournament, previously losing in the 2017 Elite Eight vs. South Carolina.
* Saturday’s win marks Florida’s 50th all-time in NCAA Tournament history.
