Clayton Jr. Seals Florida’s NCAA Championship 65-63 Win vs. Houston/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Florida won its third NCAA men’s basketball championship Monday night in dramatic fashion, defeating Houston 65-63 after Walter Clayton Jr. sealed the game with a clutch defensive stop. The Gators rallied from a 12-point deficit, overcoming Houston’s smothering defense in a thrilling title game finish. The win gives Florida its first national title since 2007.
Florida Beats Houston for NCAA Title: Quick Looks
- Florida defeats Houston 65-63 to win its third national championship.
- Walter Clayton Jr. forces game-ending turnover on final possession.
- Gators rallied from 12 down, led only 64 seconds total.
- Will Richard scored 18 points to keep Florida in contention.
- Houston couldn’t get a shot off on last two possessions.
- Florida coach Todd Golden wins title in just his third season.
- Gators now champions for the first time since 2007.
- Game capped a March Madness run with four comeback victories.
- Houston coach Kelvin Sampson laments “incomprehensible” final possession.
- Florida becomes first SEC team to win since Kentucky in 2012.
Clayton Jr. Seals Florida’s NCAA Championship 65-63 Win vs. Houston
Deep Look
Florida Edges Houston 65-63 for NCAA Championship Behind Walter Clayton Jr.’s Game-Saving Stop
In a game defined by grit, defense, and high-stakes pressure, Florida senior Walter Clayton Jr. delivered the ultimate redemption moment. After a rough shooting night, Clayton sealed the Gators’ 65-63 victory over Houston with a decisive defensive stop in the final seconds, securing Florida’s third NCAA men’s basketball championship and first since 2007.
The national title game in San Antonio was a slugfest, dominated by defense and punctuated by moments of brilliance. Florida (36-4) trailed for most of the night, facing a 12-point deficit and struggling to find rhythm against Houston’s bruising, physical defense. But in the final minute, with the game on the line, the Gators delivered when it mattered most.
The Final Sequence
After Alijah Martin gave Florida its first lead since the opening minutes with two free throws to go up 64-63, Houston had a chance to retake the lead. On back-to-back possessions, the Cougars failed to even attempt a shot — both times due to suffocating Florida defense.
First, Clayton and teammate Will Richard trapped Houston’s Emanuel Sharp in the corner, forcing a turnover. Then, with just seconds remaining, Sharp attempted to get off a potential game-winning 3-pointer, but Clayton closed in. The Houston guard hesitated, dropped the ball, and watched as Alex Condon dove for it, flipped it to Clayton, and the buzzer sounded with the Gators storming the court.
“We just needed one stop,” Clayton said. “I gave it everything I had. It was about heart. I’m proud of the way we finished.”
Gators Complete Remarkable March Madness Run
Florida’s win capped a tournament run full of comebacks — four of the Gators’ six wins in the NCAA Tournament came after trailing by double digits. Despite leading for only 64 seconds in the championship game, Florida executed when it counted, holding Houston scoreless in the final minute.
Head coach Todd Golden, in just his third year at the helm, became the youngest coach to win the NCAA title since Jim Valvano did it with NC State in 1983.
“This team never quit,” Golden said. “Even when it looked like we were out of it, we stayed in the fight. Walter’s stop at the end says everything about who we are.”
Clayton’s Gritty Finish After Quiet First Half
Clayton entered the game averaging 24.6 points during the tournament and had scored over 30 in each of Florida’s previous two games. But against Houston, he struggled to find space, going scoreless in the first half.
He finished with 11 points — all in the second half — including one 3-pointer and two critical three-point plays that kept the Gators within striking distance. But his defensive performance in the final possessions is what etched his name in Florida basketball lore.
“It was a great defensive play by Walter,” said Condon. “I just jumped on the ball. When I heard the buzzer, I knew we did it.”
Houston Falls Just Short Again
Houston (35-5), seeking its first NCAA championship, came up short in agonizing fashion. The loss echoes the school’s heartbreak from the 1980s, when its famed Phi Slama Jama teams also fell just short of the ultimate prize.
Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson lamented the team’s inability to execute in the closing seconds. “It’s incomprehensible not to get a shot off,” Sampson said. “Clayton made a great play, but we’ve got to do better. Two points would’ve been fine.”
L.J. Cryer led Houston with 19 points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Florida’s late-game charge.
A Win for the SEC and Florida Fans
The victory gives the SEC its first men’s basketball championship since Kentucky in 2012 and returns Florida to the top of college basketball for the first time since Billy Donovan’s back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. It’s also a landmark achievement for a Gators program that hadn’t reached the Final Four since 2014.
For Florida fans, this win brings back memories of the Tebow era and dominant days of Gator athletics.
NCAA Finals Delivered Close Drama
The 2025 NCAA Tournament concluded with a string of thrilling games. All three men’s Final Four contests were decided by six points or fewer, in stark contrast to the women’s tournament, where UConn’s 23-point rout of South Carolina capped a lopsided Final Four.
Monday’s finale proved once again that March Madness lives up to its name — and that even in the most defensive, grinding games, one play can change everything.
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