Florida tops Houston 65-63 to win third NCAA basketball championship

Almost 20 years later, Florida is a national champion once again.

In a battle of No. 1 seeds, the Gators erased a double-digit second-half deficit to stun the Houston Cougars in the men's NCAA Tournament championship Monday.

Houston had the last chance to win the game, with star guard L.J. Cryer passing up the ball to Emanuel Sharp. But Sharp thought twice when his attempted shot could've been blocked, and Florida scooped up the loose ball as time ran out.

Florida first appeared in the national championship game in 2000, but didn't win until going back to back in 2006 and 2007. This was the program's first appearance for the title since then.

The Gators needed to play catch up for most of the game, eventually taking their first second-half lead at the 46-second mark. Florida led for just 1:04 minutes in the entire gaem. But that was all they needed to steal victory from Houston's grasp as the program desperately sought its first ever men's basketball triumph.

The Cougars took a narrow 31-28 lead at halftime, with things not exactly going to plan for either team. Both Cryer and Walter Clayton Jr., the leading scorer of both sides, struggled to find a rhythm.

Cryer had five points on 2 of 6 shooting (1 of 5 from deep) while Clayton Jr. stunningly went scoreless, missing all four attempts. Instead, Mylik Wilson and Ja'Vier Francis came off the bench to be Houston's top individual scorers, while Will Richard led the Gators with 14 on 5 of 8 shooting (4 of 6 from deep).

Neither team got going from long range, either, as the Cougars made just 2 of 14 (14.3%) to Florida's 4 of 14 rate (28.6%). Houston did take a 29-21 lead after a Cryer triple followed by an energetic fastbreak alley oop, but Florida kept its composure to trim the deficit before the interval.

Houston again increased its lead to double digits (12) in the early proceedings of the second half, but Florida managed to drop it back to three near the halfway mark before eventually tying it at 48.

From there, it became a back-and-forth affair, with Houston looking the more likely team to pull away. But Florida didn't bow down, and eventually came through in the end.

Clayton Jr., who entered the game averaging over 18 points to lead the team, struggled mightily but involved himself more in the second half. He finished with 11 points on 3 of 10 shooting (1 of 7 from long range), eight assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block.

The 6-foot-3 senior Clayton Jr. took home the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award for his contributions throughout the team's run.

Richard led Florida with 18 points after cooling down in the second, while Alex Condon bounced back from a poor start to end with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Cryer was the only Cougar to eclipse double-digit figures, reaching 19 on 6 of 18 shooting (4 of 11 from deep). Wilson and Francis combined for 17 bench points, while Sharp went 1 of 7 from 3-point land for eight points.

Interior big J'wan Roberts struggled down low as well, going just 3 of 13 from the field for eight points, though he logged three of the team's six blocks with eight rebounds.

Neither team ever got going from distance. Both teams made six, with Florida attempting 24 and Houston 25. Another key difference came down to assists, with Florida managing 14 dimes to Houston's five. Clayton Jr. out-assisted Houston himself with his eight aforementioned assists.

The free-throw disparity also stood out, with the Gators making 17 of their 21 foul-line chances. Houston got to the line 14 times, but made only nine (64.3% to Florida's 81%).

Houston made back-to-back appearances in 1983 and 1984, but failed to win both. This was the Cougars' first time back since then, with the drought ongoing.