How were the Florida Gators going to contend with the top-rated, tenacious and suffocating defense of the second-ranked Houston Cougars? That was one of the lead narratives going into Monday night's NCAA Tournament title game.
As it turned out, the question was phrased backward.
It was the Gators' defense that flipped the script – and the scoreboard – in keying a second-half rally from a dozen points down to stun the Cougars 65-63 in a white-knuckle, down-to-the-last-second national-championship final that had 68,000-plus at the Alamodome on the edge of their seats. When the final, frantic seconds ticked away, third-ranked UF had completed an improbable come-from-behind victory -- yeah, another one -- for the third national title in program history and first since famously going back-to-back 2006-07.
They did it in just the third season under Coach Todd Golden, who not only restored the program to the national prominence established two decades ago by Hall-of-Famer Billy Donovan, but became the youngest coach to win a national championship since North Carolina State's Jim Valvano in 1983. And while few outside the Florida family would have predicted the game to unfold the way it did, Golden's Gators showed time and again during this remarkable 2024-25 season they were never out of a game; and that they could play – and win – any kind of game.
Even against a defense that by all metrics (and reputation) was one of college basketball's best in recent memory.
"We've gotten a lot of credit for our offense because we've been so explosive all year," Golden said. "But that's what makes this team special. We can win in different ways and we showed that again tonight."
UF fifth-year grad guard Alijah Martin hit two free throws with 46.5 seconds remaining to give his team its first lead since five minutes into the game. Houston had two chances in the final half-minute to go ahead, but Florida forced turnovers on both possessions – one by senior guard Will Richard, the second by sophomore forward Alex Condon – that prevented the Cougars from so much as even getting a shot off on their potential game-winning trips.
"I'm just going through those last two possessions," a somber Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said after his team's 18-game winning streak was snapped with the just the second loss since December and first in regulation since Nov. 9. "Incomprehensible, in that situation, we couldn't get a shot."
Florida wouldn't let 'em.
On a night when senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. was limited to just 11 points on three field goals and was the focal point of the Houston defensive game plan, Richard stepped up and led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Condon chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. The Gators (36-4) ended the season on a 12-game winning streak, including two comeback victories at the Final Four against a pair of No. 1 tournament seeds who were ranked in the top four of the Associated Press poll. UF rallied from nine down in the second half Saturday night to defeat Southeastern Conference regular-season champion Auburn, the nation's No. 4-ranked team.
The win was Florida's fifth game this season when trailing by double digits. They led this one for all of one minute, three seconds.
"It just goes back to how connected we are as a team," said Richard, who kept his squad in striking distance during its first-half struggles against the UH defense by hitting four 3-pointers. "I feel like we don't have any quit. I feel like as long as there's time on the clock, if we take it possession by possession … I just like our resiliency and how we fight through adversity throughout the whole game [takes over]."
That was pretty much the ask in this one.
Houston's defense held opponents to 58.5 points per game this season and thrived on forcing turnovers. Coming into Monday, the Cougars were defending at 38.2% overall and 30.3% from the 3-point line. That was a main storyline here the last few days -- especially after the Cougars' shocking rally from nine down with two minutes left Saturday night to oust top-ranked Duke -- and the Cougars played to it throughout the game, holding UF to just 39.6% for the game and just six makes on 24 attempts from the arc.
But the Gators guarded at 34.8% for the game, including 31% after halftime when they also forced seven turnovers and during one stretch held the Cougars without a field goal for nine consecutive possessions to mount the comeback. UH scored one point and turned it over three times in the final two minutes.
"It just goes back to what we've done all season," Martin said. "We never blinked."
Through his team's first five tournament games, Clayton averaged 24.6 points and shot nearly 48% from 3. At halftime, he was scoreless after missing the four shots he was able to get off against the smothering, ball screen-blitzing Cougars. He did have five assists, howevr.
"My motto, 'We all can go,' " Clayton said. "I understand that if it ain't my night somebody is going to pick me up."
The score was tied at 21 in the first half when Houston went on a run of eight straight points, with 3-pointers from guards LJ Cryer (19 points, 6 rebounds) and Mylik Wilson (9 points). The Gators finished the period on a mini-run of 7-2, with Richard's fourth 3 inside a minute to go sending UF to the locker room down 31-28.
Not bad, considering Clayton had been blanked and the Gators turned it over nine times.
"I was definitely concerned," Golden said. "They were dictating tempo."
Concern turned to alarm in the second half, as the Cougars, up four, reeled off eight straight points to go ahead 42-30 at the 16:23 mark. Clayton not only was still without a point, he was on his way to going more than 16 minutes, bridging the two halves, without even attempting a field goal.
"Our defense was so good the first half," Sampson said. "Of course, a big part of our [plan] was Clayton. He is elite."
Houston led by 11, at 45-34, inside 14 minutes when UF backup guard Denzel Aberdeen (7 points) hit a jumper to start the rally fueled by Florida's play at the defensive end. Martin's only 3-pointer of the game, cut the lead to six, then sophomore forward Thomas Haugh (5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) blocked a shot, got out in transition and finished an old-time 3-point play on a dish from Richard that made it a three-point game, 45-42, with 12 minutes left.
Approaching the under-eight timeout, Clayton saw a crease and drove the lane for a layup, his first bucket of the game, and was fouled. His free throw tied things at 48 with 7:57 to go.
Over the next four minutes, Houston never trailed, but the Gators kept the pressure on, five times tying the game, including on Clayton's lone 3-pointer with 3:11 to go.
With 2:05 left, Cougars forward Joseph Tugler hit the first of two free throws to put the Cougars up one, 63-62.
They didn't score again.
The teams traded a pair of empty possessions, until Martin was fouled with 46.5 seconds to go and the Gators down one. He coolly dropped both pressure-packed free throws for the first UF lead since being up 8-6.
Out of a timeout, Houston guard Emanual Sharp probed from the top of the key, then attacked the right side of the Florida defense. Richard came with help and swiped at the ball, got leather and knocked it off Sharp's leg and out of bounds. UF ball with 26.5 to go.
The ensuing Florida inbound ended in the hands of Aberdeen across midcourt. He was fouled and went to the line with 19.7 seconds showing. Aberdeen missed the first, but made the second for a two-point cushion, with the Gators calling a timeout and the Cougars looking to go for the kill.
"In the end, you've got to get a shot," Sampson said.
In the UF coaches' huddle, they discussed intentionally fouling one of the poor Houston free-throw shooters on the floor, thus eliminating the potential for a go-ahead 3 attempt, but that notion was nixed by Golden.
"There's a good chance he doesn't make two, but if he does we're going to have the ball, tie game, shot clock off. We've got a chance to win it," Florida assistant and defensive coordinator John Andrzejek said. "But you know, Coach believed in our defense. He gave us a shot with 19 seconds left to play D and get one stop."
Again, it was Sharp, a 41.5% shooter from the 3-point line, front and center. With the clock winding down, he took a pass at the top of the key from Cryer, drove to his left and rose for a jumper with about five seconds to go. Clayton, though, timed his contest perfectly and forced Sharp, mid-air, to drop the ball to the floor. Realizing he could not pick the ball up without being called for a travel, Sharp had no choice but to try to put a body between he and the loose ball and hope a teammate quickly bailed him out. But that's when Condon sprinted to the play and dove onto the ball as time expired.
"It's all really just a blur," Condon said afterward.
So was the mass of Florida players and coaches that spilled onto the court and into each other's arms.
The orange and blue confetti followed. Then the hardware. Then the cutting of the nets.
Golden wore one around his neck on the post-game podium. Houston was 30-0 when holding opponents under 70 points in regulation. Make that 30-1 now.
And make the Gators, remarkably, the 2025 NCAA champs.
"Our players, they've been the difference all year long. Been incredibly consistent, with a great work ethic," Golden gushed. "We have an incredibly talented group – one of the most talented groups in America – but I think what has separated us all season is how our guys have played together and for each other all year. Because of that we can call ourselves national champions for the rest of our lives."
