Florida vs. Texas Tech score: (1) Gators defrost as Walter Clayton, Thomas Haugh storm into Final Four

Basketball

0

Image Credit: UAA

The Gator Boys were hot — red-hot, in fact — throughout the entirety of the 2024-25 season. That’s until a blizzard appeared to hit San Francisco in the Elite Eight. Rather than pack it in and go home with their tails between their legs, the No. 1 seed Florida Gators erupted like a volcano over the final 3 minutes Saturday night, using an 18-4 game-ending run to prevail 84-79 over the (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders in the West Regional final of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr., who missed five 3-pointers to open the game and did not connect from long range until 5:24 remained on the clock, went 3 of 5 from downtown over the duration of the contest scoring 13 of his game-high 30 points in that span.

Keeping the Gators afloat until Clayton could find his stroke was sophomore forward Thomas Haugh, who pieced together a career performance draining two triples in each half to finish with 20 points and 11 rebounds for a double double. If not for Haugh’s play on both ends of the court, UF would not have been in a position for Clayton to go off and tag team with Haugh to lead the emphatic come-from-behind victory.

Florida improved to 6-4 in the Elite Eight with its first such win since 2014. It is now seeking to play in a national championship game for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2006-07. This as head coach Todd Golden at age 39 became the youngest man to reach the Final Four in 14 years.

Let’s take a look at what transpired in San Francisco with some Fastbreak Takeaways:

It was over when … senior G Will Richard sank two free throws to push the Gators ahead by 5 points with 3 seconds remaining.

Florida opened the second half 0 of 4 from the field (seven straight misses spanning halftime) with three turnovers and three fouls, allowing Texas Tech to piece together an 11-2 run and move ahead by four. The Gators did not make their first basket until 5 minutes had elapsed but nevertheless chipped away to regain the lead with 13 minutes to play.

The Red Raiders quickly turned the tables by dominating the paint — specifically over sophomore forward Alex Condon — using a 12-2 run to jump up 10 points with 7:48 left. After Clayton drained his first 3-pointer of the game with 5:24 remaining, Haugh came through with a pair of clutch triples that cut Florida’s deficit down to 3 points as Texas Tech missed the front end of consecutive one-and-ones. Clayton then added a second massive trey for a 9-0 run that tied the game with 1:47 remaining.

Though the Raiders again answered, Clayton’s second 3-pointer in the span of 48 seconds gave UF a lead it would never relinquish. It made six straight free throws over the final 21 seconds to complete an 18-4 game-ending scoring stretch.

Florida went an astounding 25 of 27 from the line — its best effort of the season — scoring 30% of its points at the charity stripe. Clayton and Haugh combined for 60% of the team’s total.

First half focus: UF trailed by 6 points early as it started 1 of 5 from downtown and allowed Texas Tech to capitalize beyond the arc. The Gators used a 10-0 run to jump ahead 15-11, but more triples from the Red Raiders resulted in an 8-0 run, flipping the script and pushing the third seed ahead by five. A fastbreak dunk by Haugh centered a 6-0 burst and 12-6 end-of-half effort that put Florida on top by three at the break. Texas Tech opened 6 of 7 from 3-point land but made just 2 of 9 down the stretch; however, it scored 62% of its points off turnovers and on second chances. Haugh’s 12 points — along with the team’s 10 of 10 effort from the line — allowed the Gators to stay in front despite their trio of star guards scoring just 14 points while going 5 of 12 from the field and 0 of 4 from deep.

Exceptional efforts: Haugh was the lone player who truly stood out for Florida across both halves, posting 20 points and 11 rebounds, but even he was held in check by Texas Tech for most of the second half until breaking out late. His early and late 3-pointers were the entire reason the Gators even had a chance Saturday night.

Clayton left a lot to be desired offensively for the first 35 minutes as he struggled to find the bottom of the net and create for his teammates with the ball in his hands. However, while he was not scoring, he had a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with three blocks (credited with two) in the contest. The stroke eventually came late, of course, as he finished with 30 points on 7 of 14 shooting, hitting 3 of 8 triples and 13 of 14 free throws. As such, Clayton now holds more 30-point games in NCAA Tournament play (two) than every other player in UF history — combined.

Clayton also scored or assisted on all 17 points the Gators posted from the field over the final 5:24 on Saturday, 19 of 23 when including all six free throws to end the game.

(Somewhat) missing in action: Richard and redshirt senior G Alijah Martin — Florida’s two other leading scorers and best overall players — combined to go 5 of 16 from the field and 0 of 5 from downtown. They only made one jump shot in the entire game and never had any semblance of momentum, though both contributed in other ways. Richard was nails defensively, while Martin grabbed 7 rebounds. They also went a combined 6 of 6 from the line — all important points in a tight game. Martin will become the first player in college basketball history to play in two Final Fours with different schools.

Odds & ends: Florida improved to 3-1 all-time against Texas Tech getting revenge for a loss in the 2018 NCAA Tournament … the Gators are now 49-20 all-time in March Madness, 17-6 in the irst round, 11-6 in the second round, 10-1 in the Sweet 16 and 6-4 in the Elite Eight … UF is advancing to the sixth Final Four in program history (1994, 2000, 2006-07, 2014) with a chance to play in a national championship game for a fourth time (2000, 2006-07) … the Gators improved to 10-2 this season against AP Top 25 opponents, 16-12 since Golden took over the program … Clayton has made a 3-pointer in 60 consecutive games, a program record …

Florida under Golden improved to 59-9 when leading at halftime (28-0 this season, 68-5 when leading with 5 minutes left (31-0), 55-10 when outrebounding an opponent (28-3), 66-7 when outshooting an opponent (30-1), 61-8 when outshooting an opponent from 3-point range (31-0), 34-12 when shooting 75% or better from the free throw line (16-0), and 45-15 when winning the bench scoring battle (21-1)

What it means: As has been the case all season, the Gators simply found a way to win this basketball game. Trailing by 10 points with 6:18 left — having shot the ball worse than it had in any game since a 20-point loss to Tennessee — Florida looked dead in the water. Talent ultimately won out. UF made 8 of 12 shots (75%) to end the game after starting 17 of 45 from the field (38%). It also held Texas Tech without a 3-pointer for the final 12:51, which was the entire reason the Raiders were competitive in the first place.

Despite trailing in many categories during the game, the Gators won the shooting battle from the floor (.439-.431), long range (.375-.370) and the line (.926-.538). Florida also earned an overall rebounding edge (42-35) with advantages in scoring off the bench (29-23) and on fastbreaks (12-3). Still, this was a rare occasion in which the Gators were bested on the offensive glass (11-14), on second-chance points (8-23) and in paint scoring (30-38). Being able to pull off a win despite those disadvantages was immensely noteworthy for a team that has prided itself on paint dominance.

What’s next? The Gators will wait to learn their opponent in the Final Four. Florida will play in the national semifinal on Saturday, April 5 against either No. 1 seed Auburn or No. 2 seed Michigan State.