The NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight delivered thrilling action on Saturday, with Florida and Duke securing their spots in the Final Four after impressive victories.
Top-seeded Florida booked its first trip to the national semifinals in a decade, outlasting No. 3 Texas Tech 84-79 in a back-and-forth battle. Walter Clayton Jr. took over down the stretch, sinking several clutch shots to finish with a game-high 30 points and propel the Gators to victory. Florida last reached the Final Four in 2014 and will await the winner of Sunday’s Michigan State-Auburn matchup.
Later in the evening, No. 1 Duke dominated No. 2 Alabama with suffocating defense, holding the high-scoring Crimson Tide to just 65 points – a stark contrast to Alabama’s record-setting three-point performance in their previous game.
The Blue Devils’ balanced attack featured four players scoring 14 or more points in an 85-65 rout. The win marks Duke’s first Final Four appearance under head coach Jon Scheyer, who will prepare his team to face either Tennessee or Houston next weekend.
Cooper Flagg putting the finishing touches on a brilliant @DukeMBB performance
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2025#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/3l5DY4N7aM