That game was one for the ages. The Florida Gators dramatically claimed their third national championship Monday night, overcoming a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Houston 65-63 in a heart-stopping finale. The victory marked Florida’s first title in 17 years and came down to the game’s final possession.
What was considered a defensive battle featured the lowest-scoring first half (31-28 Houston) in a title game since 2011. It seemed like that would play into Houston’s hands, but Florida’s ability to overcome nine first-half turnovers and Clayton’s rare scoreless opening period proved crucial in securing the program’s historic victory.
So get this, with 19 seconds remaining and trailing by two, Houston had one last chance to win its first-ever national championship. Guard Emanuel Sharp received a pass well beyond the three-point line with five seconds left but hesitated when met by Florida defender Walter Clayton Jr. Sharp avoided a traveling violation by bouncing the ball mid-air. Still, the Cougars couldn’t get a final shot off before time expired.
“This team never quit all season,” said Florida coach Todd Golden, who at 39 became one of the youngest coaches to win a national title. His counterpart, 69-year-old Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, remained motionless as confetti rained down on the Gators, denied his 800th career victory and a chance to become the oldest championship-winning coach in men’s tournament history.
The championship capped a tournament that saw all four No. 1 seeds reach the Final Four for just the second time since 1985. Both finalists had survived nail-biting semifinals, with Florida edging Auburn and Houston defeating Duke to set up Monday’s showdown.
Clayton Jr. emerged as Florida’s second-half hero, scoring all 11 points after intermission while adding seven assists and five rebounds. His clutch three-pointer with under three minutes remaining tied the game at 60 – the 11th tie of the night. Will Richard kept Florida afloat early, contributing 14 first-half points when the Gators struggled offensively.