Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2025 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
APR listeners have the opportunity to attend live musical performances across Alabama for free! Check out our ticket giveaways here.

It’s Tennessee and Florida in the SEC Championship after Alabama falls to the Gators in the semis

Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) reacts to a basket against Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
George Walker IV/AP
/
AP
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) reacts to a basket against Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points, and number four Florida pulled away from number five ranked Alabama for a 104-82 victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals. Alijah Martin and Will Richard each had 16 points for the 29-4 Gators in their fifth consecutive win. Next up for Florida is Sunday's SEC championship game against number eight Tennessee, which beat number three Auburn 70-65 in the first semifinal.

The second-seeded Gators led the Crimson Tide 47-45 after a first half that featured 10 lead changes. But Clayton and company really turned up their play down the stretch. Chris Youngblood had 14 points for third-seeded Alabama. The loss derailed the Crimson Tide's hope of winning the program's third SEC tournament title in the last five seasons. With 10 wins over AP Top 25 opponents this season, a program record for most in a single season, Alabama has a strong case for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Gators were impressive in the defensive end, holding the high-scoring Crimson Tide to just 82 points. Entering Saturday, Alabama had scored 90 points or more in 18 games this season, the most in Division I. Richard hit a 3-pointer with 9:24 remaining in the second half to give Florida a 21-point lead and put the game out of reach for Alabama. After a tightly contested first half, Florida outscored the Crimson Tide 57-37 over the final 20 minutes.

Florida and Tennessee split the two-game season series, with both teams winning on their home courts. The Crimson Tide wait to learn the team's first opponent in the NCAA tourney.

Pat Duggins is news director for Alabama Public Radio.
The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.