NCAA Championship: Florida Holds Off Houston for 65-63 Victory

The Florida Gators won their third NCAA National Championship with a nail-biting 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars, with Walter Clayton Jr. and Alex Condon making key plays down the stretch.

In a thrilling conclusion to the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, the Florida Gators edged out the Houston Cougars 65-63, securing their third national title. The game got off to a rocky start for both teams, with Houston struggling to find their mark from beyond the arc, going 0-8, while Florida was equally ineffective, shooting 0-4. The first seven minutes saw a combined 9-27 from the field, as both teams worked to find their rhythm.

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The highlight reel belonged to Houston in the first half, with Mylik Wilson showcasing his athleticism with a thunderous alley-oop dunk and a impressive bank-shot three-pointer. However, it was Florida's Will Richard who sparked his team's offense, hitting the first three-pointer of the game and setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle that would keep fans on the edge of their seats. As the game unfolded, Florida's head coach Todd Golden made history, leading his team to a hard-fought victory over a determined Houston squad.

First-Half Highlights

Despite committing nine turnovers, Florida's Will Richard led the team in scoring with 14 points, including four three-pointers, to cut the deficit to three points heading into halftime. Meanwhile, Florida's star player Walter Clayton Jr. was quiet on the scoring end, finishing the first half with zero points, but he still managed to dish out five assists. For Houston, Mylik Wilson and Ja'Vier Francis paced the team with seven and six points, respectively, despite both coming off the bench.

Both teams struggled to find their shooting stroke, finishing the first half with a combined 37 percent from the field. Florida held a slight advantage on the glass, out-rebounding Houston 22-19, but their nine turnovers compared to the Cougars' two proved to be a significant issue heading into the break. The low-scoring first half marked the lowest in NCAA Championship history since 2011, setting the stage for a potentially intense and defensive-minded second half.

Second-Half Chaos

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The second half got off to a disastrous start for the Florida Gators, with Alex Condon committing a foul just 30 seconds in, followed by Houston's LJ Cryer draining a three-pointer. The Gators struggled to find their footing, committing a flurry of fouls in the first five minutes of the half, including a technical foul on the bench after a frustrating sequence of defensive fouls. The team's turnover woes continued, with Florida reaching 12 on the night and falling behind 42-30, the largest deficit of the game.

However, the Gators began to mount a comeback, with Condon's dunk and Clayton's two free throws cutting the lead to eight points. Houston responded with three fouls in quick succession, but the Gators capitalized with an 8-0 run, including an and-one from Thomas Haugh, to narrow the gap to 45-42. Cryer appeared to put the game out of reach with a corner three, but the Gators refused to back down. A series of clutch plays from Clayton, including an and-one to tie the game 48-48, set the stage for a thrilling finish. The momentum swung back and forth, with both teams refusing to give an inch, until Francis sealed the win with a dominant put-back dunk that gave Houston a three-point lead.

Thrilling Conclusion

The final stretch of the game was an intense battle between the two teams' stars. Walter Clayton Jr. hit a three-pointer to tie the game, but LJ Cryer responded by putting back his own miss to give Houston a 62-60 lead. However, Florida's Will Richard kept his cool, making two clutch free throws with 2:20 remaining to tie the game 62-62. Houston's Terrance Tugler then made one of two free throws to put his team up 63-62, but Alijah Martin responded with two clutch free throws to give Florida a 64-63 lead.

The drama continued as Houston's Milos Uzan committed a foul with 19.7 seconds remaining, sending Martin to the free throw line. Martin made one of two free throws to put Florida up 65-63, setting up a tense final possession for Houston. However, the Cougars' hopes were dashed when they turned the ball over, handing Florida the ultimate victory. With this win, Florida coach Todd Golden became the youngest head coach in college basketball history to win a National Championship since Jimmy Valvano, who achieved the feat at 35 years of age.

The win marked Florida's third National Championship, and it was a title that few had predicted, with only 17.5 percent of brackets picking them to win it all. Clayton had a remarkable second half, scoring all 11 of his points, while Richard led Florida with 18 points and eight rebounds. For Houston, Cryer was the lone bright spot, scoring 19 points, but it was not enough to secure the win.