SAN ANTONIO – The Auburn Tigers and the Florida Gators are set for a rematch, this time with a trip to the national title game on the line. The Tigers, despite being the top overall seed, are slight underdogs, with the Gators coming in favored by a single possession.
In their first contest in February, Florida was dominant for much of the game, leading by as much as 21 at one point. A late Auburn push brought the game much closer, but the Gators got out of Neville Arena with a 90-81 win, the first by a visiting team all year.
Five Gators scored in double figures, led by Walter Clayton Jr. with 19. He added nine assists en route to one of his best games all year. Florida’s front line made life tough for Johni Broome, holding him to 8-19 from the floor.
Lots has changed since early February. The Florida Gators have continued to be dominant, going 14-1 since then, and securing the SEC Tournament crown. Auburn has stumbled at times despite winning the SEC regular season, but the Tigers seem to have regained some of what made them the top-ranked team at one point. Their dominant runs during extended segments of their last three games have shown what makes them so hard to beat.
The two teams mirror each other in many ways, with physical defenses earning easy looks leading to efficient offenses. Florida’s offense runs through its guards, with trio of Clayton, Alijah Martin, and Will Richard combining for 45.9 points per game. All three guards are solid rebounders as well, strengthening the frontcourt duo of Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh.
Auburn’s offense tends to run through Johni Broome, but just like Florida, the Tigers’ feature guards combine for over 40 points per game. Starters Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, and Chad Baker-Mazara are all versatile, two-way players averaging double figures and making their presence known behind the arc. Freshman star Tahaad Pettiford leads the bench unit, averaging 11.7 points per contest.
Pettiford has been the standout for the Tigers in the tournament, averaging 17.3 points and 3.5 assists through four games. His outstanding play earned a spot on the South All-Region team alongside Broome, the region’s Most Outstanding Player.
The heavyweight bout tips off the Final Four from the Alamodome Saturday at 5:09 p.m. CT before Duke and Houston play for the other championship game slot. Watch on CBS or listen on the Auburn Sports Network.
