Basketball
Florida took down Houston 65-63 in a thriller, preventing the Cougars from getting a shot off in the closing seconds and denying Houston its first-ever title.
This is the Gators’ third championship and their first since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
HOW IT FEELS TO BECOME A NATIONAL CHAMPION ???????? #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/JR3O12tapx
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
Houston (35-5) led 42-30 early in the second half after holding a 31-28 lead coming out of the break. But as the Gators have done all tournament, Todd Golden’s squad hung around, responding with a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to just 45-42.
The Gator’s 12-point rally ties the third-largest comeback in national championship history. The largest came in 2022 when Kansas erased a 16-point deficit against North Carolina.
The teams were not separated by more than three points over the final 8:31 of game time. Florida took its first lead since 15:37 in the first half with 46 seconds remaining. In total, the Gators lead for only 64 seconds compared to Houston’s 30:44 in front.
The teams were tied 12 times, but the championship only featured three lead changes.
After just four total fouls in the first 20 minutes, Houston tallied 16 in the second half and Florida had nine. Fifteen of the Gator’s 37 second-half points came at the line, including their final five points.
Houston had five turnovers entering the final two minutes, but the Cougars coughed the ball up four times over the final 2:05 — a pivotal swing that turned the game in Florida’s favor. Meanwhile, Florida turned it over nine times in the first half, but the Gators protected the rock in the second, only committing four all half.
Walter Clayton Jr. was awarded Most Outstanding Player after dropping 34 in the Final Four against Auburn and 11 points and seven assists against Houston. Will Richard provided a huge spark in the first half with 14 points, finishing with a team-high 18 points.
Houston’s L.J. Cryer paced the game with 19 points on 6-18 shooting. He was the only Cougar in double digits.
Florida’s two-point win is the smallest margin of victory in a men’s title game since Duke held off Butler, 61-59, in 2010.
Houston leads 60-57 with under four to play. The Cougars have led for over 29 minutes to Florida’s 17 seconds in front, but the Gators are hanging around.
The two are trading buckets, and taking care of the ball as Florida has just four turnovers in the second half. But fouls are stacking up as Florida sits in the double bonus and the Gators are two fouls away from putting the Cougars there as well.
FRANCIS ON THE FOLLOW ????#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/OHkJvEQ5mF
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
Houston still holds the lead, 48-47, but the Cougars have gone cold from the field, connecting on just one of their last 12 attempts. Sampson’s squad is in serious foul trouble as well, with Ja’Vier Francis and Joseph Tugler sidelined for now with four a piece.
Each team is still shooting below 40% on the night.
Before the under-10 media timeout, Walter Clayton Jr. found his first field goal of the night and will have the opportunity to tie the game from the line.
TOUGH TAKE FROM WALTER CLAYTON ????#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/MUVPjxfir6
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
After Houston’s 11-2 run, the Gators are on an 11-3 run into a Kelvin Sampson timeout, trailing 45-41. Walter Clayton got on the board with two free throws, and Alijah Martin also found the points column with a 3-pointer. Thomas Haugh just blocked an LJ Cryer three before getting down the court and finishing a layup through contact.
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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
Houston is on an 11-2 run to open the second half, powered by two 3-pointers from LJ Cryer. The Cougars lead 42-30 — the largest lead of the night and the Gators’ largest deficit of the tournament.
Florida has already committed three more turnovers out of the locker room, and the Gators have five fouls after just committing one in the first 20 minutes. Will Richard and Alex Condon each were called for an off-ball offensive foul.
The Cougars have opened up the largest lead of the night ????#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/vkC50SJrI2
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
The Cougars control a 31-28 lead heading to the locker rooms. Kelvin Sampson’s squad has been relentless, forcing nine first half turnovers with just two on their end.
Both teams are shooting 38% from the field, unable to get in a rhythm offensively. Walter Clayton Jr. was held to zero points in the first 20 minutes, going 0-4 from the field. But Florida’s Will Richard has kept the Gators in striking distance, accounting for 14 of Florida’s 28 points at the break. He is 4-6 from 3-point land— the only player on the Gators that has a 3.
The charity stripe has been almost a non-factor, with only four total fouls called in the first half and just four free throw attempts— two from each team.
Here are the full team stats at the half:
Houston went on an 8-0 run over the last minute, taking the biggest lead of the game, 29-21. The Cougars finally connected from downtown, with LJ Cryer and Mylik Wilson finding the bottom of the net.
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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
Houston leads Florida 20-16 at the under-10 media timeout. The Cougars are swarming on defense, already forcing seven Gator turnovers, but they have only capitalized with four points off the TOs. Florida is hanging in with two 3-pointers from Will Richard — the only 3s of the game so far.
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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
Florida and Houston are knotted 8-8 into the first media timeout. The Cougars’ physicality is on display early with a block, steal and four offensive rebounds in the first five minutes. Neither team has connected from downtown yet, combining 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.
Alex Condon leads Florida early with four points, and Joseph Tugler leads Houston with four as well.
HOUSTON STANDS TALL DEFENSIVELY ????#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/ZZgL5rs15b
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025
We are just 10 minutes until Houston and Florida clash in the national championship. Here are the starting lineups for the title contenders:
We are just one hour from tipoff between Houston and Florida in the national championship at 8:50 p.m. ET on CBS and right here on NCAA.com. Follow along here for live updates and highlights throughout the game.
The trophy represents the hard work. It represents the dedication. It represents everything.
Tonight, a beautiful dream comes true for Florida or Houston.
8:50 PM ET | CBS and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/tSdeV69kzg
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2025
Florida and Houston meet on men’s college basketball’s biggest stage on Monday night after each took out the top two overall seeds on Saturday.
Each No. 1 seed put together a dominant regular season before taking home their respective conference championships. Both squads sit at 35-4 on the year, but only one will reach 36 in San Antonio.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchup between the two national title contenders:
Florida
The Gators boast one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, sitting at third in the country with 85.3 points per game.
Todd Golden’s squad has had plenty of close calls this tournament, escaping UConn, rallying past Texas Tech and out-pacing Auburn on Saturday night. The Gators look oddly comfortable in tight games, and most of that attitude is thanks to All-American point guard Walter Clayton Jr.
Clayton has been sensational in the tournament, averaging over 25 points per game and seemingly hitting every big shot he takes. He carried Florida over Texas Tech in the final few minutes with two game-changing 3-pointers before he dismantled Auburn with 34 points, scoring 20 of his team’s 41 points in the second half.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 6, 2025
The former Iona transfer is the latest March legend who appears almost unguardable, but he will certainly have his greatest test on Monday night against the nation’s top defense.
Houston
While the Gators boast a potent offense, they will be running into a buzzsaw that is the Houston defense. The Cougars play a suffocating style of basketball, leading the nation in points allowed — just one of two teams in the country holding teams to under 60 points per game on average.
Kelvin Sampson’s squad just got done taking out the juggernaut that was the Duke Blue Devils, whom many thought were clear title favorites. Duke holds three projected top-10 picks in the NBA draft, and Houston’s defense held them to just 67 points — Duke’s second-lowest point total of the entire season and 18 fewer than its previous tournament-low against Alabama.
Similar to Florida, it has not been a cakewalk to the title game for Houston, either. The Cougars needed a last-second bucket to get past No. 4 Purdue in the Sweet 16 and they went on a historic 9-0 run in the final minute against the Blue Devils to reach this point.
How quickly things can change ????#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/5NcPPIqrSI
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 6, 2025
Houston plays a much more balanced style of offense, with four starters averaging double-digit points. LJ Cryer leads the way with 15.6, and his matchup with Clayton will be must-see TV.
Matchup
The nation’s third-ranked offense versus the top-ranked defense in the national championship should produce a top-tier matchup. Each team has clawed their way through the tournament, stepping up when it mattered most. This game should come down to the buzzer. Can Houston finally scale the mountain to bring a title back to H-Town, or will Florida re-plant the seeds of a dynasty it built in the mid-2000s?
Follow along here for live updates and highlights throughout the game as the 2025 men’s basketball champion is crowned.
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