The national championship game ended in gritty fashion, exactly how Houston typically prefers—except this time, it was Florida who delivered the defensive dominance. The Gators forced key turnovers and bad shots in the final minutes to secure a 65-63 victory over the Cougars.
“Our game plan was simple: the most physical team is going to win,” said Gators guard Alijah Martin.
Houston struggled in the final 81 seconds, committing four turnovers, with the last one sealing their fate. “We were just incredible defensively down the stretch,” said Australian post Alex Condon. “We got nine stops in the final minutes. It was a total team effort, and it was wild.”
Emanuel Sharp’s final attempt was thwarted by Walter Clayton Jr., who leapt into his shot with his left arm extended, forcing Sharp into an awkward position. Unable to maintain his balance, Sharp either had to let the ball fall or risk a travel call when he landed.
While Sharp tried to screen Clayton, hoping a teammate could retrieve the loose ball, Condon dove to the floor, managing to grab it as the clock wound down.
“Clayton had an unbelievable shot contest,” said Cougars guard L.J. Cryer. “That was a game-winning play.”
Despite leading for just 63 seconds the entire game, Houston came up short in its bid for a first national title. Florida, meanwhile, celebrated its third national championship, making a dramatic comeback from a 12-point deficit after halftime. This victory marked their first title game appearance since winning back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.
Florida didn’t regain the lead until Martin hit two clutch free throws with 46 seconds remaining, giving the Gators a 64-63 edge. This followed a critical turnover by Cryer, who was stripped under the Houston basket, allowing Condon to secure the ball.
Sharp’s final attempt was rushed under pressure, with Clayton closing in quickly. After another steal by Will Richard with 26 seconds left, Florida added a free throw to extend its lead.
Houston called a timeout with 19 seconds left to set up a final play. Sharp received the inbound pass but had little room to maneuver with Clayton aggressively contesting his shot.
“We had a chance to win; we just didn’t get a shot off,” said Houston’s J’Wan Roberts, who was part of the team’s 149 wins over five seasons.
As the buzzer sounded, Sharp sat on the court, clearly emotional, while teammate Ja’Vier Francis and Clayton—both from the Tampa Bay area—offered comfort.
Despite only committing nine turnovers throughout the game, Houston’s late-game mistakes proved costly. Four of those turnovers happened in the final minutes, including the critical ones after Cryer’s putback gave Houston a 62-60 lead with 2:29 left.
“I keep replaying those last two possessions,” said Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson. “It’s incomprehensible that we couldn’t get a shot off in that situation. Florida did a great job of defending, but we also didn’t finish our plays well.”