Florida, Houston head to NCAA title game after Final Four victories

IS DIGGING INTO THE NUMBERS. MIKE ERIKA. IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE LEGAL SPORTS BETTING CAME TO MASSACHUSETTS. IT’S A MASSIVE MONEYMAKER, AND IF LAST YEAR IS ANY INDICATION, MARCH WILL END UP BEING A TOP MONTH FOR GAMBLING ON SPORTS. MARCH MADNESS HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. OUR TEAMS AREN’T PLAYING IN THE FINAL FOUR MENS AND WOMEN’S D1 NCAA TOURNAMENTS, BUT IT APPEARS A LOT OF MASSACHUSETTS MONEY WILL BE BETTING ON THE BIG GAMES. REVENUE FIGURES FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS GAMING COMMISSION REVEALED JUST HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. GAMBLERS HERE FORKED OVER A WHOPPING 14 BILLION ON SPORTS BETTING. THAT’S NEARLY $2,000 SPENT BY EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN MASSACHUSETTS. MOST OF THAT WAS SPENT ONLINE. LAST MARCH WAS THE PEAK MONTH FOR SPORTS BETTING IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024. WE ARE A SPORTS CRAZED AREA. MARLENE WARNER IS CEO OF THE MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL ON GAMING AND HEALTH. DO THESE HUGE DOLLAR AMOUNTS SURPRISE YOU? NOT REALLY. I MEAN, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THAT THEY SURPRISED ME, BUT THEY REALLY DON’T. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT MASSACHUSETTS IS A STATE THAT LIKES TO GAMBLE. WE HAVE THE MOST PROFITABLE LOTTERY IN THE WORLD. THE GAMBLING LICENSEES AND THE STATE ARE CASHING IN WHEN GAMBLERS LOSE. OF THAT $14 BILLION IN SPORTS BETS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, RETAIL AND ONLINE LICENSEES MADE 1.3 BILLION. AND THE STATE COLLECTED ALMOST 250 MILLION IN TAXES. I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T GO INTO SPORTS WAGERING WITH THEIR EYES WIDE OPEN. WARNER SAYS KIDS ARE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE. WE’RE HEARING EVERY DAY ABOUT PARENTS WHO ARE OPENING ACCOUNTS WITH SOME OF THE MAJOR SPORTS OPERATORS FOR THEIR KIDS SO THAT THEY CAN PLAY MARCH MADNESS. THAT’S COMPLETELY ABSURD. HERE’S HER ADVICE FOR PEOPLE BETTING ON THE NCAA TOURNAMENTS OR ANY OTHER SPORTS. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ODDS ARE. MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE ODDS ARE WHEN THEY’RE GAMBLING. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR THAT AND DON’T EXCEED IT. BETTING ON D1 SPORTS PLAYED BY MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGES IS NOT ALLOWED DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. HOWEVER, IT IS LEGAL DURING A TOURNAMENT LIKE MARCH MADNESS. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS A GAMBLING PROBLEM, YOU CAN CALL

The Final Four tipped off in San Antonio Saturday night.For just the second time, all four No. 1 seeds made it to college basketball's final weekend.No. 1 Florida 79, No. 1 Auburn 73Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending the Gators to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.The All-America guard for the Gators (35-4) had a driving layup with 2:24 left, on the possession right after Australian big man Alex Condon drew a charge against Johni Broome, the other All-America player in this national semifinal — and who was dealing with an injured right elbow.Video above: March Madness tournament fueling sports betting After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament, seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds.The Gators will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC's first title since Kentucky in 2012, the only one since they won in back-to-back seasons. Florida takes an 11-game winning streak into the title championship game in the Alamodome against either Duke or Houston.Auburn (32-6), in its second Final Four with coach Bruce Pearl, was the top overall seed.Clayton became the first player with consecutive 30-point games in the Elite Eight and semifinals since Larry Bird for Indiana State in 1979, according to ESPN Stats. Clayton got over 30 with his three-point play with 1:33 left, scoring on a layup while being fouled and adding the free throw.Alijah Martin, who played in the Final Four with FAU two years ago, added 17 points for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.Chad Baker-Mazara, with his left hand partially wrapped because of a thumb issue, led Auburn with 18 points, with four 3-pointers. Broome finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds. Houston 70, Duke 67Houston’s suffocating defense wiped away a 14-point deficit over the final eight minutes and erased Cooper Flagg and Duke’s title hopes Saturday in a 70-67 stunner over the Blue Devils at the Final Four.Duke made a grand total of one field goal over the last 10 1/2 minutes of this game. The second-to-last attempt was a step-back jumper in the lane by Flagg that J’Wan Roberts disrupted. The last was a desperation heave by Tyrese Proctor that caught nothing at the buzzer.It was Roberts’ two free throws with 19.6 seconds left that gave the Cougars their first lead since 6-5. LJ Cryer, who led Houston with 26 points, made two more to push the lead to three. It was Houston’ biggest lead of the night.The Cougars, who never won a title, not even in the days of Phi Slama Jamma, will play Florida on Monday night for the championship.

SAN ANTONIO —

The Final Four tipped off in San Antonio Saturday night.

For just the second time, all four No. 1 seeds made it to college basketball's final weekend.

No. 1 Florida 79, No. 1 Auburn 73

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending the Gators to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.

The All-America guard for the Gators (35-4) had a driving layup with 2:24 left, on the possession right after Australian big man Alex Condon drew a charge against Johni Broome, the other All-America player in this national semifinal — and who was dealing with an injured right elbow.

Video above: March Madness tournament fueling sports betting

After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament, seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds.

The Gators will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC's first title since Kentucky in 2012, the only one since they won in back-to-back seasons. Florida takes an 11-game winning streak into the title championship game in the Alamodome against either Duke or Houston.

Auburn (32-6), in its second Final Four with coach Bruce Pearl, was the top overall seed.

Clayton became the first player with consecutive 30-point games in the Elite Eight and semifinals since Larry Bird for Indiana State in 1979, according to ESPN Stats. Clayton got over 30 with his three-point play with 1:33 left, scoring on a layup while being fouled and adding the free throw.

Alijah Martin, who played in the Final Four with FAU two years ago, added 17 points for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.

Chad Baker-Mazara, with his left hand partially wrapped because of a thumb issue, led Auburn with 18 points, with four 3-pointers. Broome finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds.

Houston 70, Duke 67

Houston’s suffocating defense wiped away a 14-point deficit over the final eight minutes and erased Cooper Flagg and Duke’s title hopes Saturday in a 70-67 stunner over the Blue Devils at the Final Four.

Duke made a grand total of one field goal over the last 10 1/2 minutes of this game. The second-to-last attempt was a step-back jumper in the lane by Flagg that J’Wan Roberts disrupted. The last was a desperation heave by Tyrese Proctor that caught nothing at the buzzer.

It was Roberts’ two free throws with 19.6 seconds left that gave the Cougars their first lead since 6-5. LJ Cryer, who led Houston with 26 points, made two more to push the lead to three. It was Houston’ biggest lead of the night.

The Cougars, who never won a title, not even in the days of Phi Slama Jamma, will play Florida on Monday night for the championship.

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