The Auburn Tigers played well enough in the first half of its Final Four game with Florida on Saturday to punch their ticket to Monday's NCAA Tournament final. Then, Todd Golden's squad made crucial halftime adjustments to steal a win away from the Tigers.

Florida's Thomas Haugh, right, goes up to block a shot by Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) AP

The Florida Gators took a punch from the Auburn Tigers — but they punched back, and they punched back hard. Now, they’ve punched their ticket to the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2007, when Billy Donovan’s prolific Gators won their second consecutive national title.