If you have followed our content here at Hail Florida Hail about Florida Basketball, you know, seldom do we ever try to make it out that the refs screwed over the Gators. That's not to say the Gators haven't been on the short end of the stick, but usually we try to hone in on what Florida could have done better.
And so, why we are celebrating a trip tonight to the national title game and the fact the Gators are still dancing, as Limp Bizket once said, sometimes, some things turn into dumb things.
And that's when you put your foot down.
Florida Basketball: Are You Blind?
We had noted prior to the game that Auburn was more prone to foul than most teams. The Tigers hovered around 300th in fouls per game entering the Final Four.
One could argue in the first half that the refs were "Letting them play," and while we would grumble at that notion and there were a couple of questionable things that Auburn star Johni Broome was able to get away with, nothing ever felt like it went off the rails.
Then, the second half happened.
Florida prevailed in the end, but in all honesty, the Gators could have won this game by 15+ points if the refs had an ounce of consistency to them.
Broome hammers down on Will Richard after a rebound?
Traveling.
Thomas Haugh with a clean block?
Foul.
That sequence is just a microcosm of the lack of consistency that went on in the second half and made life hell on Earth for Gator fans.
Florida ultimately prevailed and is off to the national title game this Monday at 8:50 PM against the winner of Duke vs. Houston.
Hopefully, the refs have a bit more consistency to them on Monday.