Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard L.J. Cryer (4) controls the ball towards Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) in the course of the second half of the nationwide championship recreation of the Last 4 of the 2025 NCAA Match on the Alamodome. Necessary Credit score: Bob Donnan-Imagn Pictures All-America guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 11 factors within the remaining quarter-hour and made the sport’s largest defensive play with 4 seconds left as Florida rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to edge Houston 65-63 within the NCAA championship recreation Monday night time in San Antonio.
Will Richard put up 18 factors and Alex Condon added 12 because the Gators earned their first nationwide championship since Billy Donovan’s groups received back-to-back championships in 2006 and ’07. Florida led for simply 17 seconds earlier than seizing its first second-half lead on Alijah Martin’s two free throws with 46.5 seconds to play.
The Gators (36-4) tied the 1998 Kentucky Wildcats for the third-largest rally in NCAA championship annals. Florida’s Todd Golden, 39, grew to become the youngest coach to win an NCAA title since 37-year-old Jim Valvano and North Carolina State surprised Hakeem Olajuwon and Houston with Lorenzo Charles’ last-second dunk in 1983.
Houston (35-5) fell to 0-3 in nationwide championship sgame regardless of a game-high 19 factors from LJ Cryer. The Cougars had the ball for the ultimate shot and Emanuel Sharp went up for a 3-point try with 4 seconds left, however Clayton flew out at him and Sharp needed to drop the ball to the ground to keep away from the journey.
Condon dove on the ground to safe the ball and the remainder of the Gators began celebrating because the clock hit zero for an inconceivable victory that regarded inconceivable early within the second half.
After Florida was whistled for its fifth foul of the second half with 17:21 to play — together with back-to-back offensive fouls earlier than the Gators may take a shot — Florida’s assistant coaches jumped on the court docket and have been whistled for a technical.
Cryer canned one of many technical free throws, then took the inbounds move within the nook and swished a 3-pointer to push the result in 40-30. Houston’s J’Wan Roberts quickly adopted with a soar hook within the lane to place the Gators behind by 12.
Clayton, who scored a career-high 34 factors to information Florida over Auburn within the semifinals on Saturday, missed his first six photographs and dedicated three turnovers earlier than lastly getting on the board with 14:57 to play within the second half when he hit two free throws.
The Gators rallied within the second half behind a 14-3 run. When Clayton drove for a lefty layup — his first subject objective of the night time — and hit the accompanying free throw, Florida pulled even 48-48 with 7:54 to play.
Neither staff may construct greater than a 3-point lead the remainder of the way in which.
After Martin’s two free throws gave the Gators a 64-63 edge with 46.5 seconds to go, Richard stripped Sharp on a drive. Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen added a free throw to make it a two-point recreation with 19.7 seconds to go, then Houston referred to as its final timeout to arrange the unsuccessful remaining play.
The Cougars led 31-28 at halftime because of seven factors from Mylik Wilson.
–Subject Degree Media
