SAN ANTONIO – The 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game started with both teams trading baskets like body blows.
When the University of Houston’s Ja’Vier Francis threw down a monster dunk over the University of Florida’s Micah Handlogten, Florida’s Thomas Haugh returned with a dunk of his own to tie the game back up at 10.
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The style of play in the first 12 minutes felt like we were watching a game from the 1990s; only two made threes, tough fouls and aggressive drives to the basket.
The Cougars went on a 9-3 run for the next three minutes, taking a 29-21 lead with four minutes left before the half. What wasn’t expected was the Gators’ leading scorer in their Final Four game against Auburn, Walter Clayton Jr., not scoring a single point in the first half after scoring 34 the game before.
L.J. Cryer opened up the second half with a three that gave the Cougars a six-point lead, but just when another Houston defensive stop made it look like the Cougars were going on a run, Alex Condon came back with a dunk to cut the lead to four.
A technical foul was assessed to the Florida bench when Will Richard got tangled up and fell to the ground with a Houston player. Cryer made the first free-throw but missed the second. After the Cougars got the rebound, Cryer hit a three to put Houston up 40-30.
Another missed three-point shot from Florida and a turnover on the next possession led to J’Wan Roberts’s two-point jumper to put the Cougars up 12. Handing the Gators their largest deficit in the tournament.
A couple of Houston fouls slowed down the Cougars’ momentum, and the Gators took advantage. First, an Alijah Martin three got the Florida fans off their feet. A steal by Martin and an assist to Haugh for a layup, plus a foul for a three-point play, swung the energy in the Alamodome back to the Florida faithful, making it only a four-point game at 45-41 with 12 minutes left.
Clayton Jr. completed a three-point play to tie the game at 48 with seven minutes to play, and tensions couldn’t have been higher.
After a Rueben Chinyelu technical foul for slamming the ball into the ground after disagreeing with a foul call, Cryer hit both free throws, and Roberts only made one of his, making it a three-point game.
The teams traded huge baskets, including a clutch three from Emanuel Sharp, who had missed his first six three-pointers before making one with five minutes left in the game.
After a few sloppy plays and back-and-forth baskets, it remained a close game. With 46 seconds left, Martin made both free throws to put Florida up 64-63.
On the next possession, a costly turnover by Sharp gave the Gators the ball with 26 left and a one-point lead.
Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen hit one of his two free throws to make it a two-point game. Houston called a timeout to draw up one last play with 19 seconds left.
The final possession for the Cougars was a disaster. A screen got Sharp open for a three, but he decided not to shoot it with Florida’s Clayton Jr. in a perfect position to block the shot. As Sharp dropped the ball, by rule, he couldn’t touch it again, or it would result in a turnover.
As Sharp stepped back, looking for one of his teammates to jump on the ball, Florida’s Condon jumped on the ball, resulting in his fourth steal of the night as the game clock hit zero, crowning the Gators as National Champions.
Heartbreak for #Houston. 😳 Final: #Florida 65, Houston 63. The Cougars’ last possession results in a turnover as the clock hits zero and we’re all as stunned as #CharlesBarkley. #FinalFour #NCAA @ksatnews @KsatSportsNow pic.twitter.com/Y8vKuAe8H6
— KSAT Nick Mantas (@KSATNick) April 8, 2025
After the heartbreaking ending to an incredible year for the Cougars, head coach Kelvin Sampson shared what he told his team in the locker room.
“I told the guys after the game, be disappointed you lost, but do not be disappointed in your effort,” - Kelvin Sampson and his #Houston Cougars heartbroken after an emotional loss in the National Championship. @ksatnews @KsatSportsNow #NCAA #FinalFour #Florida #SanAntonio pic.twitter.com/D8GrzOkaWO
— KSAT Nick Mantas (@KSATNick) April 8, 2025
“I told the guys after the game, be disappointed you lost, but do not be disappointed in your effort,” said Sampson. “We lost by two points. They made one more play than we did tonight.”
An emotional Roberts shared that Sampson has had an important impact on his life. This will be the final time he’ll wear the Houston jersey, and he feels terrible.
“I’m proud of these guys, but I’m sad that I can’t do it with them again. This is by far the best team in my six years that I’ve been on,” said Roberts.
“I’m going over those last two possessions in my head,” said Sampson. “It’s incomprehensible that we couldn’t get a shot, couldn’t get a shot.”
“The way we looked tonight. We usually find a way to win in games like that. We usually find ways to win; tonight we didn’t,” said Sampson.
As the national champion Florida Gators took the podium, they shared their perspective on the final play and how they came back from being down 12.
“I just think we have elite confidence in those situations. I think we got together at one point when we were down and told each other we’re good,” said Condon. “A great defensive play by Walt. He made a great defensive play, and I jumped on the ball.”
“Our guys have been really good all year, staying the course,” said Florida head coach Todd Golden. “That’s what’s made this team so special all year, that we can win in so many different ways, and we did that again tonight.”
