The Elite 8 features a matchup that no one predicted. The Florida Gators were expected to reach this round. After going undefeated in the SEC conference in both the regular season and the tournament, the Gators earned the No. 1 overall seed. Many have them penciled in to win the whole thing. However, no one had Dayton in the matchup. The Cinderella team continues to beat the tournament's top teams and hopes to keep the magical ride alive.
The 11th seed has beaten Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford to reach a matchup against the Florida Gators. They have overcome numerous challenges since starting their tournament run, predicted to loose in the first round, but instead pulling multiple upsets. The Gators have taken a much different path, hoping to keep a 29-game win streak alive. Florida is not looking to fall victim to the Cinderella of the tournament.
The Gators have met their downfall in the Elite 8 over the past few seasons. The team has seen their last three tournament runs get ended by Butler, Louisville and Michigan in this very round. Florida is hoping that is all behind them as they continue to dominate teams left and right. The Gators are coming off a win against UCLA. With a solid mix of youth and experience on the roster, Florida is hoping to continue their dominance against Dayton.
Dayton strength comes in their depth. The Flyers played 12 different players against Stanford in their win. Their bench outscored the Cardinals 34-2 which was the second-largest differential in the tournament. The Flyers were nothing short of efficient in that win. The team shot 48.3 percent overall while dishing out 19 assists and 28 field goals.
The Gators will ride on their defense in this game. They rank third nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 57.8 points per game. They have not allowed 68 points in a game over the past 10 matchups and will remain just as stingy against Dayton.
The Gators have their sights set on the Final Four and after a strong run, so does Dayton. Not many brackets had this matchup penciled in when the tournament first started. Dayton has been shocking people with every game they play while the Gators have been staying the course they set during the regular season. This is no longer a David vs. Goliath type of matchup. The Gators and the Flyers will fight to finish for a spot in Texas.
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