GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Beware: these Gators bite, especially when they feel threatened.
Florida, which has shown a knack for wearing down opponents all season, has become the ultimate closer in the NCAA Tournament. Late-game rallies against two-time defending national champion UConn in the second round and against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight have the Gators (34-4) believing that no hole is too deep for this gritty group.
Coach Todd Golden pointed to confidence and maturity as the keys to his team’s penchant for comebacks. He also joked that having All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. on the floor makes a huge difference.
“It’s our ability to not get too high or too low,” Golden said Tuesday.
Golden clearly would prefer to have his team get off to a better start when it faces fellow Southeastern Conference foe Auburn (32-5) — the Gators won their first meeting in February — to open the Final Four in San Antonio on Saturday. But he’s seen enough to know there’s no reason to panic if Florida falls behind.
After all, these Gators have looked fairly harmless for the first 20, 30 or even 35 minutes of games before attacking with a frenzy.
Just ask UConn or Texas Tech. Or Alabama, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina. The Gators overcame daunting deficits against all of them.
“Undying belief,” Clayton said. “It goes to show how together we all are. Many times (we) could easily just break, start pointing the finger, blaming each other for this and that. But we just stayed together through the end and stayed the course.”
None of Florida’s rallies have been as impressive as its latest one. The Gators trailed Texas Tech 71-61 with 5:30 to play when Clayton took over. The senior made three 3-pointers, a layup and two free throws down the stretch. He also dished out two assists by finding Thomas Haugh for open 3s.
“Instead of letting our emotions get the best of us or pointing fingers, we did a good job staying the course,” Golden said. “Obviously our guys did a good job understanding it’s now or never and made every big play down the stretch.”
Added Haugh: “When you’ve got guards like these guys, the game’s never over. It’s just wild.”
Florida ranks second in the country in second-half scoring margin, a clear indication of the team’s coaching/talent/depth combination. The Gators wore down against Alabama and Tennessee in the SEC tournament last month and did the same to the Huskies and Maryland in NCAA play.
UConn led much of the game until Clayton stepped up in the closing minutes. The Terrapins held tough early — they trailed 40-38 at halftime — before Florida made a few adjustments at the beak and dominated the second half.
It’s hardly anything new for Golden’s group, either.
The Gators nearly beat Missouri in mid-January despite trailing by 19. They rallied to shock South Carolina a week later after being down 14 in the second half. Although less dramatic, they did something similar at LSU in late February. Down eight in the second half, Florida flipped a switch and routed the Tigers the rest of the way.
Golden’s squad nearly pulled off another stunner three days later. After trailing by 26 in the first half, ...
