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Walter Clayton Jr. delivers historic performance in Florida’s epic finish vs. Texas Tech
By Mark Kern
Published:
Walter Clayton Jr. has been terrific all season long, helping Florida win the SEC Tournament. However, he has taken his game to another level in the NCAA Tournament, and he was at his best in helping the Gators advance to the Final Four in a thrilling come-from-behind victory against Texas Tech.
Clayton poured in 30 points, while hitting 2 3-pointers in the final 1:47 of the game. His 2nd 3-pointer gave the Gators a 78-77 lead with less than 1 minute remaining in the game. In the win, he became the first Florida player to have 2 30+ point scoring games in the NCAA Tournament, while also winning the West Region Most Outstanding Player Award.
His other March Madness game with 30+ points came against Colorado last season, when he scored 33 in a first-round loss. This time around, Clayton got help from teammate Thomas Haugh, who poured in 20 points off the bench.
With the performance by Clayton, the team is heading to the Final Four in only Todd Golden’s third season in Gainesville. The Gators are back to the Final Four for the first time since 2014, and they will await the winner from Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup between Auburn and Michigan State.
