WATCH: Postgame interviews with Walter Clayton Jr., UF players after Final Four win

SAN ANTONIO — The Gator boys stayed hot on Saturday with their 79-73 comeback win over Auburn in the Final Four. The Florida Gators overcame a halftime deficit behind a career-high performance from Walter Clayton Jr.

Clayton’s 34 points, including 20 in the second half, propelled the Gators into the national championship game for the fourth time in program history. Alijah Martin scored 17 points and Thomas Haugh added 12 off the bench.

Checkout postgame interviews in the locker room with Clayton, Haugh, Martin, Denzel Aberdeen, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu.

Walter Clayton Jr. postgame interview

Alijah Martin postgame interview

Rueben Chinyelu postgame interview

Thomas Haugh postgame interview

Alex Condon postgame interview

Denzel Aberdeen postgame interview

Florida players Q&A

Q. Will and Thomas, what is Walter like in those moments when your back is against the wall and he turns it on the way he did today?

WILL RICHARD: I mean, I feel like everybody sees it. He’s poised, calm and collected, confident in himself. We have that confidence in him. We see him practice, see his work ethic. We’re glad everybody else is getting to see him do it in a game.

THOMAS HAUGH: Similar answer. He’s incredible. On and off the court he’s a great dude. We trust him in those situations. He knocks down big shots day after day, so…

Q. Walter, took you till about the last eight minutes against UConn, then the last four against Texas Tech to really take control of the game. Was the object of this game to make it happen sooner?

WALTER CLAYTON JR.: No. Me personally, I just let the game come to me. I know I got a bunch of other guys around me who are threats also. If you try to double me, Tommy hit that three in the first half, loosened up their defense a little bit, they went away from me. Just read and reacting to the defense. I know I got weapons around me.

Q. I think we’re all out of ways to describe Walter’s game. Specifically we can’t compare him to Steph Curry anymore because Steph never did it on this stage. What is one word you would describe his game?

WILL RICHARD: I’ll just say special, to be honest. He’s special.

THOMAS HAUGH: Special.

ALIJAH MARTIN: Special (laughter).

Q. Walter, take me through your assertiveness down the stretch. 71-68, that three-point play. What you saw to break down the defense.

WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, they was kind of showing hard all night. So I think it was Cardwell left a little early, I was able to get the shot up. Tommy had hit down, knocked down one of those top of the key threes. That kind of forced them not to stay as long on me. Tommy, all of them were making plays. in the national championship. I don’t remember last time that we been here. Like I said, the guys around me making plays allows my game to open up and I appreciate ’em.

Q. Walter, you were saying yesterday your introduction to March Madness was watching Kemba 14 years ago. What was it about that that drew you in? Do you think you’re doing a pretty good imitation of him?

WALTER CLAYTON JR.: I wouldn’t say imitation. I try to be my own person. But yeah, man, Kemba on one of the biggest stages was calm, cool and collected. Just watching that, I kind of admired that. He was able to just zone himself out, just play his game.

Q. Thomas and Alijah, I think they were pretty much having their way 73% in the two-point area in the first half. Cut it in half in the second half. What did you do or talk about at halftime to try to settle in and do something about what they were doing?

THOMAS HAUGH: Well, for me, Walt kind of got our bigs together at halftime and gave us a nice little pep talk. That’s not the game of basketball, that’s not the style of basketball we played at the beginning, out-physical us. That gave us extra motivation. Coach Hartman got on us a lot at halftime, too. That helped a lot going into that second half.

ALIJAH MARTIN: Yeah, we know what we need to do. We just had to trust each other, play harder, get the job done.

Q. Walter, 11 of 18, 34 points. What it’s been like for you doing what you’ve done in the SEC this year?

WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Honestly, to be honest with you, I don’t really, like — I guess you could say I haven’t really had time to reflect on what I’ve been doing. I’ve just been focused on us winning game, winning games with these guys. I haven’t tooken the time to reflect back on the season yet.

Q. Alijah, what does it feel like right now, obviously still one more to go, but you got this past round? Secondly, those dunks, were you intending to fly from the free-throw line?

ALIJAH MARTIN: It feels good getting this win, being back Super grateful for these guys. Those dunks, I was just thinking just going to dunk it, honestly.

WALTER CLAYTON JR.: We’ve been waiting on him all year (laughter).