Florida overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Houston in a comeback 65-63 victory on Monday night, securing the program’s third national championship in a dramatic finish that featured a game-winning defensive stand.
Houston controlled the game for over 30 minutes, forcing Florida’s high-powered offense to play at the Cougars’ grinding pace. The nation’s top-ranked defense held Gators star Walter Clayton Jr. scoreless in the first half, something that had happened only twice previously this season.
Florida entered the championship averaging 85.3 points per game as the NCAA’s third-highest scoring offense. They had scored at least 77 points in each of their five previous tournament victories. But against Houston’s suffocating defense, the Gators shot just 39.6% from the field and 25% from three-point range.
In the second half, the Cougars appeared to have the game in hand after a sequence that included a foul on Will Richard and a technical on the Florida bench gave Houston a commanding 42-30 lead.
Clayton, who had scored a combined 64 points in his previous two games, didn’t register his first point until a free throw with 14:57 remaining. He didn’t make his first field goal until there was just 7:54 left in the game.
“It was the recipe for a comfortable Houston championship win,” wrote ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
But Florida’s supporting cast kept the Gators within striking distance. Will Richard provided 14 critical first-half points and finished with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds. Center Alex Condon, who scored just one point in the Final Four against Auburn, contributed 12 points and seven rebounds against Houston.
Florida’s defense sparked the comeback, holding Houston to just three points over a nearly seven-minute stretch as the Gators cut their deficit to 48-45.
That’s when Clayton finally broke through. He scored his first field goal on an and-one layup in traffic and hit the free throw to tie the game at 48-48. Two possessions later, Clayton again drove to the basket and made the 2-pointer while he drew a contact foul shot, and completed the three-point play to tie the game again.
With less than four minutes remaining and Houston up 60-57, Clayton connected on his only three-pointer in seven attempts. The shot tied the game at 60 and energized the Gators for their final push.
Florida took its first second-half lead when Alijah Martin hit two free throws with 46.5 seconds remaining after drawing a foul on a drive to the basket. After a Houston turnover, Denzel Aberdeen added another free throw to extend Florida’s lead to 65-63 with 19.7 seconds left.
Houston had one final chance to tie or take the lead. The Cougars tried to set up sharpshooter Milos Uzan with a look from the right side, but Florida’s defense smothered him. The ball eventually found Emanuel Sharp at the top of the key, but a defensive hand in Sharp’s face caused him to miss, and Houston was left to watch as time expired.
LJ Cryer led Houston with 19 points and six rebounds but needed 18 shots to get there. No other Cougar scored in double figures as Houston shot just 34.8% from the field and 24% from three-point range.
Clayton finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors after scoring 34 points in Florida’s semifinal win over Auburn.
The victory delivered Florida its third national title, denying Houston coach Kelvin Sampson his first championship.
In the end, Houston forced Florida to play their style of basketball. But as Myron Medcalf noted, “Florida played it better.”