Because the clock struck midnight, the Florida Gators stood at middle court docket, holding the NCAA Championship Trophy. All that remained within the crowd was a sea of orange and blue shirts representing Gator Nation, mesmerized as orange and blue confetti gracefully fell from the skies.
With the Gator emblem draped on a championship banner between the staff, head coach Todd Golden, his gamers and the group started doing their signature Gator Chomp celebration as they hoisted the trophy.
From that time on, a message was despatched to the complete nation.
Florida basketball is again.
Down by as many as 12 factors within the second half, Florida rallied to defeat the Houston Cougars 65-63, profitable this system’s third NCAA Championship and first since 2007.
Will Richard led the Gators with 18 factors and eight rebounds. Alex Condon adopted swimsuit with 12 factors and Walter Clayton Jr. capped off his legendary match run with 11 factors and 7 assists.
L.J. Cryer led Houston with 19 factors and 4 triples. No different Cougar completed with double-digit scoring numbers. Mylik Wilson added 9 factors off the bench and J’Wan Roberts completed his collegiate profession with eight factors, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Each groups battled within the opening body, inflicting three lead adjustments and 5 ties.
The Cougars threatened to drag away late within the first half after Wilson made a triple to provide Houston a 29-21 lead with 5 minutes to play within the opening half.
Nonetheless, Florida responded by closing out the ultimate minutes on a 7-2 run led by a Condon steal and layup and two triples from Richard.
Florida’s run lower their deficit to a few, leaving Houston up 31-28 lead into the half. Clayton struggled within the first half, closing out the opening body with zero factors after lacking 4 makes an attempt from past the arc.
Within the second half, Houston’s got here out of the half scorching. Cryer hit a triple on the opening possession of the half, beginning off an 11-2 Houston run that gave the Cougars a 42-30 lead. Houston’s protection suffocated Florida over this run, forcing three Gator turnovers that resulted in eight Cougar factors.
Nonetheless, Florida started to chip away. Clayton stole the ball from Milos Uzan and drew a foul, scoring his first factors of the sport from the free throw line. The Gators performed powerful protection, drawing fouls and contesting jumpers, even when Roberts snagged offensive rebounds to increase possessions.
On the offensive finish, Florida scored eight consecutive factors from a Denzel Aberdeen layup, Alijah Martin triple and a Thomas Haugh and-one. After their 8-0 run, the Gators lower the double-digit deficit to a few factors.
Houston maintained their slim lead over the subsequent 5 minutes. The Gators continued to attain, however couldn’t break by means of to seize the lead. Lastly, they compelled a tie with simply over three minutes to play.
Clayton, who had an off-shooting night time whereas being guarded by Emanuel Sharp, confirmed up when his staff wanted him essentially the most. With crunch-time approaching, Clayton curled round a display screen and pulled up from the proper wing, burying a triple to tie the sport at 60 apiece.
Cryer shortly responded with a follow-up tip after a missed layup, however Richard drew a foul and calmly sank two free throws to maintain Florida equal. After Joseph Tugler break up a pair of free throws, Florida’s protection stepped up.
Up one, Cryer drove in laborious to the paint, however had his shot rejected from Haugh. Condon pushed the ball down the court docket, the place Alijah Martin ultimately drew a foul on Tugler on a fast-break layup try.
Martin sank each of his free throws to provide the Gators a 64-63 lead.
On Houston’s ensuing possession, Sharp held the ball on the prime of the wing. He used a Roberts display screen to drive laborious proper, however was stripped by Richard as he approached the paint. The ball ricocheted off Sharp’s arms, forcing one other Houston turnover.
After the Cougars deliberately fouled Aberdeen, he break up his free throws, leaving Houston an opportunity to tie with a two, or an opportunity to win with a triple.
On their remaining possession, Houston started to bleed the clock. As seconds clicked off the clock, Sharp darted out to the highest of the important thing and acquired the cross from Cryer. He pulled up from deep, however Clayton contested laborious, forcing Sharp to spike the ball on the floor. Sharp, unable to the touch the ball attributable to a journey, tried to field out gamers for a teammate to obtain the ball. Condon hustled and dove for the ball, securing possession and successfully bleeding out the ultimate seconds on the clock.
Houston was unable to place a shot on the rim for his or her remaining three possessions of the sport.
As Kelvin Sampson blankly seemed onward, the Gator bench cleared to start the celebration, with Clayton leaping into the arms of Micah Handlogten. Clayton could be named the match’s Most Excellent Participant, and rightfully so.
Each groups have been inefficient on the offensive finish—a product of their elite defenses. Florida shot 39.6% from the sphere and 25% from past the arc, slight will increase from Houston’s 34.8% from the sphere and 24% from past the arc.
Florida’s capacity to get to the free throw line proved to be one of many difference-makers within the recreation, because the 19 Cougar fouls became 17 Gator factors off free throws.
With the win, Florida earned their third NCAA Championship in program historical past, with Golden turning into the youngest coach to win a title since Jim Valvano in 1983.
In a full circle second, the staff Valvano beat to win that iconic 1983 title—the Houston Cougars.
However for now, Florida will take pleasure in their one shining second and look to attempt to go back-to-back subsequent yr, similar to they did in 2006 and 2007.
