Florida will face UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) in the final of the men's college basketball national championship tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana.
George Mason came into the semifinal game after surprising two teams which had appeared in the Final Four last year, Michigan State and defending champion North Carolina. After a win over Wichita State, George Mason ousted regional top seed Connecticut.
But the string of major upsets did not seem to bother Florida coach Billy Donovan.
"When the ball goes up at six o'clock, all the stuff that has been written and talked about is out the window. It is two teams that I think are very well balanced going against each other. And we happened and were fortunate to come out on top. I am happy for their kids. And I am happy for [George Mason] coach [Jim] Laranaga," he said.
Part of the secret to George Mason's success was in hitting three-point shots. But the Patriots came up empty in the first half and got only two scores from outside the arc in the second half. George Mason coach Jim Laranaga said the magic seemed to vanish at the opening tipoff.
"We came into the game feeling very good about ourselves and feeling very good about our chances," said Laranaga. "But for some reason, we were never able to really establish our rhythm either offensively or defensively. And Florida's ability to get so many second shots I thought really hurt us."
With the 73-58 win, Florida advances to the championship game on Monday against UCLA, a 59-45 winner over Louisiana State University.