Florida and Houston advance to NCAA Championship after Final Four thrillers

SAN ANTONIO (KYMA, KECY) - After a wild night of hoops in the Alamodome, it's official: Florida and Houston are heading to Monday's national championship game.

The Gators outlasted fellow SEC powerhouse Auburn 79-73, while Houston stormed back to stun Duke in a dramatic 70-67 finish.

Walter Clayton Jr. once again proved why he's the engine of this Florida team. The All-American guard poured in 34 points, his second straight 30-point performance in the NCAA Tournament, and helped the Gators (35-4) secure their first trip to the title game since their back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.

Florida leaned on Clayton late, especially after a key momentum shift. With 2:24 left, Alex Condon drew a charge against Auburn star Johni Broome, who was battling an injured elbow. Clayton responded on the very next possession with a driving layup to keep Florida in front.

It marked a signature moment for the SEC, a league that sent a record 14 teams to the Big Dance this year. Florida now has the chance to bring home the SEC's first national title since Kentucky did it back in 2012.

Auburn, which entered the tournament as the top overall seed, finishes its season at 32-6. Head coach Bruce Pearl's squad made just its second Final Four appearance but came up short in the final stretch.

In the second semifinal, Houston showed why it's one of the most relentless defensive teams in the country.

Down by 14 with under eight minutes to play, the Cougars (34-5) turned up the pressure and absolutely shut the door on Duke. The Blue Devils managed just one field goal over the final 10 and a half minutes, and that lockdown effort allowed Houston to claw back and snatch the win.

With 19.6 seconds left, it was senior J'Wan Roberts who calmly hit two free throws to give Houston its first lead since early in the first half. Then LJ Cryer, who finished with a game-high 26 points, added two more to seal the deal.

Duke's final two chances consisted of a contested step-back from freshman phenom Cooper Flagg that Roberts altered, and a last-second desperation heave from Tyrese Proctor that caught nothing but air.

It's Houston's first appearance in the championship game since 1984, and with the Cougars now on an 11-game win streak, they'll take on a red-hot Florida team for all the marbles Monday night.