No. 5 Florida spoils No. 7 Alabama’s Senior Night, gains leg up in race for NCAA tournament’s final No. 1 seed

In a game with significant NCAA tournament implications, No. 5 Florida pulled away Wednesday night for a 99-94 road win over seventh-ranked Alabama.

The win spoiled Alabama’s Senior Night in Mark Sears’ final home game and gave Florida a leg up over the Crimson Tide in the race for the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Alabama faced and battled back from multiple deficits throughout the game. Florida opened a 15-8 lead that Alabama answered with a 9-0 run. The Gators retook the lead at 36-31 that Alabama answered again with a 9-0 run.

But Alabama had no response to Florida’s final surge. The Gators turned a 50-47 second-half deficit into a 75-63 lead with 7:41 remaining that Alabama couldn’t overcome.

Sears and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. went toe-to-toe in a showcase of All-SEC guards. But Florida’s superior rebounding and half-court execution limited Alabama’s normally potent transition offense. Florida dominated the glass on both sides of the court to repeatedly create its own transition opportunities and second-chance points.

Alabama stopped Florida from running away with the game and cut its deficit to 94-90 with 20.5 seconds remaining. But it never cut Florida’s lead to one possession.

Clayton finished the game with 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Sophomore Florida forward was a force on the interior with a team-high 27 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. His five offensive rebounds helped Florida to a 16-10 edge on the offense glass and a 50-35 advantage in total rebounds.

Sears countered with 30 points, six rebounds and five assists as one of five Alabama players to score in double figures. But Alabama’s potent offense wasn’t enough to overcome a Florida team that repeatedly won battles for rebounds and loose balls.

Who will secure NCAA tournament’s final No. 1 seed?

The first three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament are virtual locks. They’ll almost certainly go to Duke, Auburn and Houston. The fourth No. 1 seed is up for grabs with a handful of SEC teams and Michigan State among the contenders.

Florida and Alabama both entered Wednesday’s game in contention. But Alabama’s loss to Florida was a second straight to a fellow contender after No. 4 Tennessee beat the Crimson Tide on Saturday. Alabama lost significant ground while Tennessee and Florida are very much still alive for a top seed alongside Auburn out of the SEC.