Florida Beats Houston, Locks Up Third NCAA Championship in School History

Houston didn’t get its storybook ending after all. The team had a great year, playing hard defense and tough, gritty basketball in an offensive-minded world, but ultimately they couldn’t muster up enough offense to take home their first ever NCAA title.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Cougars, who had faced (and conquered) adversity all season long.

(Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

They were one of the hottest teams in the tournament, having come off a big victory over Duke, and got to play in San Antonio just miles from their home crowd.

Despite all of that, they didn’t quite have the talent or resolve that Florida did.

A Long Time Coming

As expected, the championship was a tight contest all the way through. Houston came out hotter than Florida. They battled hard on the boards, forced Florida into uncomfortable shots, and harassed the Gators up and down the court.

That allowed them to play their game. They spread the ball well, didn’t settle for bad shots, and got plenty of looks inside. So many, that it seemed Florida simply didn’t have the ability to keep up.

That led to the Cougars going up early and grabbing a three point (31-28) halftime lead

Houston continued that slow play into the second half. While Florida tried to figure out their offense, the Cougars quickly extended their lead until they were up by 12 points. Right then it seemed that the Gators magic had run out.

However, the ever-resolute team knew how to play when down. They didn’t give up or roll over. Instead, they regrouped and fought back.

As they had done all tournament, Florida managed to crawl back into the game

They hit the boards, attacked the basket, and drew a ton of fouls. Houston's once-strong lead slowly slipped away until the Gators took the lead with less than ten minutes to go.

From there, both teams traded baskets until Florida went up by two point lead in the waning seconds. Houston called a timeout, drew up a play, but could not get a shot off before the final buzzer. Florida ran onto the court and celebrated a 65-63 victory.

A Chance at the Big Time

The victory is Florida’s third NCAA tournament win in school history. The only others came during their back-to-back run in 2006 and 2007. The team played hard and put up a strong front in the face of adversity time and time again.

Their seniority showed during the game, as did their ability to hit big shots when they needed it

That type of clutch play is ultimately separated them from so many other tournament teams, and it’s what allowed them to come out on top in the end.

The historic comeback was a big night for many players on the team. Alex Condon will certainly get some NBA looks due to how well he moves for his size. The center is a great asset, and could have some success at the next level.

Walter Clayton Jr., who greatly upped his NBA draft stock during Florida’s run, had a rather quiet night by his standards. He only put up 11 points, but did manage to string together a strong seven assists and five rebounds.

Even so, his ability to score and natural athleticism will both be something the pros look at going forward

While the game ended in heartbreak for Houston, there’s a good chance they do have an NBA player in LJ Cryer.

He put up 19 points in the National Championship and acted as the heart and soul for his team during their tournament play. He’s not a first round pick, but will likely be picked up in the second.

One Down, Many to Go

There’s no telling what’s next for Florida. The Gators did not have much success after their last championships, but that was mainly due to losing the core of their team and not being able to recruit.

Now, it’s a different world in the NCAA. The transfer portal has given many schools the opportunities to bring in talent, and Florida could make good use of that even if they do end up losing two of their best players.

Todd Golden is a great coach, and the youngest to win a National Title since the expansion in 1985. That’s quite a mark.

He clearly knows how to inspire a team, and has the ability to make a deep run in the future

It may be too early to tell if he’ll join the ranks of Tom Izzo and John Calipari, but there’s no doubt he can win it all. Even if Florida slips down for a year or two, he’s already proven he can win it all.

Right now, that’s more than enough.