Florida rallyed for an exciting victory of 65-63 on Houston

By Eddie PELLS

San Antonio (AP) – Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. overwhelmed Houston’s defense on Monday evening to win a 65-63 victory in a match thriller for the NCAA title, not decided until Clayton prevented the cougars from taking a winning shooting in The Buzzer.

Clayton finished with 11 points, all in the second half, but what he will remember most is to have Emanuel Sharp of Houston arrested in the middle of his movement while he was trying to go up for the 3 winning 3 in the last seconds.

Clayton ran towards him, Sharp dropped the ball and, unable to pick him up from the part he is called to travel, watched him bounce while the chronometer cuckold to zero.

Will Richard had 18 points to keep the Gators (36-4), and they won their third global title and the first since 2007, this time led by the third year coach Todd Golden, the former goalkeeper of Saint Mary and head coach of the University of San Francisco. The cougars (35-5) and coach Kelvin Sampson was denied their first championship.

It was a defensive fight, and for most of the night, Clayton obtained the worst.

He had 0 for 4 of the land without a point through the first half. He did not score before 2:57 p.m. remained in the match. He finished with a 3 -point and, before that, a pair of three -point parts that kept the Gators in the typing range.

It was the defense of Florida, not that of Houston, who controlled the last minute.

After Alijah Martin made two free throws to put Florida in front of 64-63 – his first advance since 8-6 – The Gators attracted Sharp to a triple team in the area, where Richard brought him to dribble the ball of his leg and out of the limits.

Florida made a free kick on the following possession and this set up the final. The ball went to LJ Cryer for the first time – which led the cougars with 19 points. Covered by Richard, he threw Sharp, who was moving to go up for a 3 when Clayton ran to him. It left him other choice than to let the ball go.

Sampson, which designed a defense that held Florida in less than 70 points for the second time this season, looked in shock.

Instead, the 69 -year -old man becomes the oldest coach to win the title, Golden, 39, became the youngest since Jim Valvano de NC State in 1983 to win everything.

The Gators dragged 12 points at the start of the second half, and Clayton was not the only one to be frustrated.

The Florida bench obtained a technique for a quick period of three faults of fault in less than a minute. Later in the second half, Houston’s stifling defense rushed Rueben Chinaeru in a technique after committing a fault.

But it was not enough. Houston finds himself in the same place as the teams of Phi Slama Jama from the 1980s – in second place, but memorable.

This heartbreaking loss occurred two nights after the cougars shaped a wild return, 14 against Duke.

The three games of the last four have been decided in the section, none of more than six. Any thought that male game had been overwhelmed by increasingly popular women will probably be held at least for a year.

On Sunday, the last three female games, capped by the Uconn eruption in South Carolina, were decided on average 24.7 points.

Originally published: April 7, 2025 at 8:57 p.m.