Gators Rally Late To Stun Texas Tech, Swipe Final Four Ticket

[Updated: 7:26 p.m., 3-30-25]

SAN FRANCISCO — The No. 1 seed Florida Gators mounted a furious rally in the last three minutes of the West Region final Saturday to erase a 10-point deficit and outlast No. 3 seed Texas Tech, 84-79. The Gators (34-4) return to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four for the first time since 2014 and the sixth time in program history.

What looked like a Red Raider  (28-9) celebration with under four minutes to go quickly turned into a Gator masterpiece when Florida closed the game on an 18-4 run, including four straight makes from beyond the arc to steal momentum — and the game.

Historic Comeback Seals Sixth Final Four Appearance for Florida

Down 75-66 with less than three minutes to play, Florida looked on the ropes. But coach Todd Golden’s squad responded with poise and precision. The Gators hit four consecutive 3-pointers to flip the script, highlighted by Walter Clayton Jr.’s clutch triple to tie the game at 75 with 1:30 left. Clayton said the key to closing the gap was the team’s ability to stay connected while facing adversity.

After Texas Tech briefly regained the lead, Clayton struck again — drilling the go-ahead 3 with 59 seconds remaining. Florida never trailed again.

IT’S GR8 TO BE A GATOR pic.twitter.com/1oo7paeQTs

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 30, 2025

The dramatic victory capped a flawless March for Florida, now winners of 10 straight and 16 of its last 17. The Gators are 10-0 this month, averaging a blistering 90.6 points per game.

Clayton Jr. Shines

In a game packed with offensive firepower, no star shined brighter than Clayton. The All-American guard poured in 30 points, including 13-of-14 shooting from the free throw line, tying Joakim Noah’s program record for makes in an NCAA Tournament game. He also added timely 3-point shooting down the stretch to cap a tour de force performance.

Clayton, the regional MVP, now owns two of the three 30-point games in Florida’s NCAA Tournament history — adding to his 33-point outing against Colorado earlier this month. Through five tournament games as a Gator, he’s averaging a scorching 24.4 points per contest. Golden called Clayton “a blessing” to have in the program.

Meanwhile, forward Thomas Haugh delivered a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Alijah Martin chipped in 10 key points. Haugh’s total includes two 3-pointers that started the comeback.

Free Throws and Grit Define Florida’s Closing Surge

In a game decided by inches, Florida’s dominance at the free throw line proved pivotal. The Gators sank 25 of their 27 attempts (92.6%), while Texas Tech faltered at the stripe, going just 7 of 13. Costly misses on the front ends of 1-and-1s by Darrion Williams and JT Toppin in the closing minutes left the door wide open — and the Gators barged through it.

Williams led the Red Raiders with 23 points and Toppin added 20, but it wasn’t enough to secure Texas Tech’s second Final Four appearance in school history. After an electric first half from deep — Tech hit six of its first seven 3-pointers — the Red Raiders cooled off and couldn’t find a response when the Gators surged late.

Offensive Records Continue

Florida’s scoring barrage this season has entered record-breaking territory. With 3,247 total points on the year, the Gators have surpassed the previous school mark set by the 2006-07 team. They’ve also broken the single-season 3-point record, now with 376 made triples — nearly 20 more than the previous record from 2011-12.

Clayton’s red-hot shooting streak continued, with a 3-pointer made in 60 straight games. His 111 made 3s this season now ranks fourth in Florida history.

The victory also gives the Gators their 10th top-25 win of the season — more than any Florida team in history — with seven coming in the month of March alone. It’s a stretch of dominance reminiscent of the program’s golden years and now they’re back on college basketball’s biggest stage.

Up Next

No. 3-ranked Florida advanced to face overall top seed Auburn (32-5) at 6:09 p.m. Saturday (CBS, 103.7-FM) in the first game of the Final Four in San Antonio’s Alamodome. The No. 4-ranked Tigers defeated two seed Michigan State (30-7) in the South Regional final on Sunday night, 70-64.

It’s a No. 1 seed Final Four for the second time, as East Regional champion Duke plays Midwest champion Houston at 8:49 p.m. Saturday in the other national semifinal. Saturday’s winners play for the national championship Monday night.