SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Two All-Americans, one chance to get their team a chance to win a national championship.
And more magic from Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. will carry the Gators to their title shot.
Clayton scored 34 points to outduel Auburn's Johni Broome as the Gators beat the Tigers 79-73 on Saturday night at the Final Four.
And while it wasn't a direct matchup between small and ultra-quick Clayton and the beefy Broome, those two have been the heartbeat of their teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Clayton was virtually unstoppable again, as he scored at least 30 points for the second consecutive game, slicing through the Tigers defense for layups or popping 3-pointers even with defenders in his face.
“The guys trust me to take those shots and sometimes they fall," Clayton said.
Clayton was 11 of 18 from the field, making 5 of 8 3-point attempts. He made all seven free throws.
As the final seconds ticked down, Clayton even chased a loose ball to tip it back to ensure the clock would run out on the victory. When he started to walk back on the court, teammate Alijah Martin was standing watching him with a smile before they hugged with win in hand.
“He has done it all year for us, in big moments,” Florida coach Todd Golden said.
Broome, started well with 12 points in the first half as he used his size and strength to muscle over defenders under the basket.
But while he had insisted that a right elbow injured in the South Region final win over Michigan State was pain-free, he appeared to favor it at times and often looked uncomfortable.
He also looked frustrated by late turnovers and missed free throws as the game started slipping away. Broome scored just three points on just four shots in the second half and finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Broome frustration showed late when he lowered his shoulder into Florida's Alex Condon and was called for a foul. He was later denied a dunk, and then missed two free throws with 2:02 to play that would have cut the Gators' lead to 71-70.
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