The Florida Gators have been crowned champions of the 2025 men’s basketball NCAA Tournament after defeating the Houston Cougars, 65-63, in thrilling fashion on Monday night.
The Gators had not won the national title on the hardwood since doing so back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 under Billy Donovan. This is the program’s third national title.
Florida battled the pesky Cougars all night, coming back in the second half to win it all.
As expected, both teams played suffocating defense throughout the 40 minutes on the court, and the final two minutes of the second half turned into a back-and-forth whirlwind.
The result boiled down to multiple defensive stops for the Gators, starting with Will Richard’s block on a jumper that was followed by a Joseph Tugler turnover after a battle underneath the hoop with 1:22 left to play.
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Florida got L.J. Cryer, Houston’s leading scorer on the night with 19 points, to turn the ball over with Alex Condon recording the steal. At the other end of the floor, as Florida, down 63-62, was desperate for a bucket, Alijah Martin was fouled by Tugler and got to go to the free-throw line with the potential to take the lead with 46 seconds left on the clock.
With ice in his veins, Martin buried both charity stripe shots to take the 64-63 lead. Needing yet another stop, Florida’s defense led Houston’s Emanuel Sharp to dribble the ball off his knee and it went out of bounds with 26 seconds left.
Denzel Aberdeen would eventually be fouled with the shot clock now turned off, though he would only make one of his two free throw attempts. So, at 65-63, Houston had a chance to either tie the game or win it all with a three-pointer.
The best defensive possession of the night for Florida came at the perfect moment, as Houston couldn’t get their scripted play going and Sharp eventually went to heave a three with five seconds left, but a good close-out had him drop the ball as he jumped.
Sharp wasn’t allowed to touch the ball due to the double-dribble rule, and with the clock ticking down, a fight for the ball led to the final horn blowing and the Gators celebrating.
It was a tough look for the Cougars, as they owned a 12-point lead at one point in the second half. They were also the halftime leaders at 31-28 after holding Florida to just 37.9% shooting, including 4-of-14 from three-point territory.
Walter Clayton, the Gators’ leading scorer all season with 18.5 points averaged per game, was held scoreless in the first half as well.
But Clayton would eventually drop 11 in the second half, while Alex Condon (12 points, seven rebounds, four steals) and the team’s leading scorer, Will Richard with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists, were crucial in the comeback.
The Alamadome saw some fantastic Final Four games, and the men’s basketball season was capped with one of the best battles between two No. 1 seeds in the national championship in recent memory.
The Cougars were close to securing the program’s first-ever national championship, but the Gators are back on top for the first time in nearly two decades after a hard-fought victory.
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