SAN ANTONIO | If Auburn was going to go out, it wasn't without Chad Baker-Mazara doing his best to keep the Tigers in it.

The guard scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting (4-of-7 from three) in Auburn's 79-73 loss to Florida in the Final Four on Saturday night. Baker-Mazara also came up with four steals and two assists.

What people don't know is that the Dominican Republic native was playing in a lot of pain.

"I'm sure it will come out, but his thumb is really messed up," Steven Pearl said after the game. "For him to be able to gut through that and find a way to have a huge impact on the offensive end speaks to how good of a player Chad is."

In just over two minutes in the first half, Baker-Mazara put up eight points as Auburn continued to trade leads with the Gators. He drove to the basket for a layup before making back-to-back threes to give the Tigers a two-point edge with 14:48 left before halftime.

With Auburn trailing by eight with less than a minute to go, Baker-Mazara hit a three to give Bruce Pearl's a glitter of hope, but the loss still came, ending the best season in program history.

"Our two best players both came into this game with pretty significant injuries, and we're leading most of that game and had multiple opportunities to win the game," Steven Pearl said. "It speaks to the depth of our team and the toughness of some of our best players."

As of now, Baker-Mazara could return for his third season on the Plains thanks to the new rule giving former JUCO players extra eligibility. After his performance in the Alamodome, there are plenty of reasons why Pearl and his coaching staff would want him back.

"I'm a dog, man," Baker-Mazara said. "Until that clock hits zero, game ain't over."