Walter Clayton Jr. Rallies Florida in the Final Four with 84-79 March Madness wins on Texas Tech

Walter Clayton Jr. saved the highest seed Florida With two 3 late episodes and Gators gathered from nine points late to reach the Final Four With a 84-79 victory over Texas Tech in the final of the western region of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

The Gators (34-4) followed 75-66 with less than three minutes to play before organizing a furious event against the third seed Red Raders (28-9), which had done the same in the Sweet 16 against Arkansa.

Clayton dripped from the paint and hit a Fadeaway 3 with 59 seconds left to give Florida an advantage of 78-77, and Gators resisted from there to advance at their first final from four from 2014 in the third season of the coach Todd Golden. Florida will face the south region champion – Auburn or Michigan State – next Saturday in San Antonio.

The return provided a happy ending to the return of Golden to Bay Areawhere he played college at Saint Mary’s and started as a manager at the coach at San Francisco.

While the final horn played, Golden turned to the Gators fans and showed his fist demonstratively while his players rushed to the field to celebrate a victory that seemed unlikely a few minutes earlier.

Clayton, who started his university career in Iona, marked 30 points to lead the Gators. Thomas Haugh added 20 points and 11 rebounds from the bench.

Haugh started the return with two 3 episodes. Clayton then linked him with his long -haul shot after Texas Tech has lost a second straight front part of one and one.

After Darrius Williams scored for Texas Tech, Clayton’s last 3 put Florida forward and Gators sealed it on the foul line.

Williams lost two 3 seconds late. He had sank the game basket late in the regulation and winner of the game in the final seconds of the extraordinary against Arkansas on Thursday evening.

The Texas Tech remained just up to his second final trip ever after being on the wrong side of a return of the end of the game. The Red Raiders gathered from 13 points in the last five minutes to beat the Razorbacks in the Sweet 16.

Williams scored 23 points to drive Texas Tech and Jt Toppin added 20.

The game was tightened for most of the team capable of building a larger advantage than six points for the first 30 minutes while Texas Tech capitalized on turnover and second chance points and Florida has repeatedly arrived on the foul line. Clayton was dirty twice on 3 points at the beginning of the second half, bringing to five points on the six foul shots.

The Red Raiders went in the running for 12-2 to go up 10 but they could not resist.

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