For 30-plus minutes in Monday’s NCAA title game, Houston’s defense flustered a freewheeling Florida offense into playing its own grinding game.
But in the end, Florida would not be denied. The Gators looked cooked when Houston opened up a 42-30 second-half lead. But Florida persevered and rallied for a 65-63 win to secure the program’s third national championship while denying Houston its first.
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Houston didn’t allow Florida to take a second-half lead until Alijah Martin hit two free throws with 46.5 remaining after drawing contact from Joseph Tugler on a transition layup attempt. The foul was Tugler’s fifth and sent Houston’s best defender to the bench for the rest of the game. Florida never trailed again.
Houston turned the ball over on its ensuing possession, and Florida answered with a Denzel Aberdeen free throw to extend the lead to 65-63 with 19.7 seconds remaining. Houston had an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead on the next possession.
But the Florida gave Houston a dose of its own defensive medicine with a smothering effort on Houston’s final possession of the game. Houston looked to set up sharpshooter Milos Uzan with a look from the right wing on a pass from LJ Cryer. But Uzan met two Florida defenders as he attempted to break free off a screen to create a shot.
Uzan gave the ball back to Cryer, who immediately passed it to Emanuel Sharp at the top of the key. But Sharp had no place to go. He dropped the ball to the floor after finding a hand in his face on a 3. And the clock ticked off from there as he watched the ball bounce, knowing that if he touched it he’d be called for a traveling violation.
From there, the Florida celebration was on.
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The defensive stop provided a fitting end to a game in which defense set the tone from the opening tip. Houston seized a 31-28 halftime lead in first half in which it held Florida All-American and NCAA tournament hero Walter Clayton Jr. scoreless.
Clayton, who entered Monday’s averaging 24.6 points per game in five previous NCAA tournament games, didn’t score his first point until a free throw with 14:57 remaining in the second half.
But it was Clayton’s eventual offense and Florida’s defense down the stretch that ultimately willed the Gators to victory. Clayton finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and earned Final Four Most Outstanding player for his combined effort that included 34 points in Florida’s semifinal win over Auburn.
Florida started its rally on defense
Houston took a 45-34 lead on an Emanuel Sharpe free thrown with 14:07 remaining. From there, Florida held Houston to three points over a 6:54 span while cutting its deficit to 48-45. Then Clayton did what Clayton does.
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Clayton scored his first field goal of the game on an and-1 layup in traffic. He hit the free throw to tie the game at 48-48.
Two possessions later, Clayton did it again. With Houston up, 51-48, Clayton again drove to the basket. He again scored through contact and drew a fould.
And he hit his free throw to tie the game.
They tied the game again at 51-51 on another and-1 layup and free throw by Clayton two possessions later. From there it was a back-and-forth battle in which Florida ultimately prevailed. The outburst arrived after Houston held Clayton scoreless in the first half of a stifling defensive effort.
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Then, with less the four minutes remaining, Houston again held a three-point lead at 60-57. This time Clayton did his damage from beyond the arc. Clayton took a pass off a screen and pulled up for his only made 3 in seven attempts.
It was a big one the continued to keep pressure on a Houston team that had still yet to trail in the second half.
