In a thrilling final game, Florida pulled off a 65-63 comeback win over Houston to win the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball national championship.
The victory gives the Gators their third title in school history and their first since winning back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 under coach Billy Donovan.
This time, the win came under 39-year-old coach Todd Golden, who became the youngest head coach to win a national championship since Jim Valvano in 1983. Florida finished the season with a 36-4 record, tying the most wins in school history.
The Gators were led by Alijah Martin, who scored 18 points. Freshman Alex Condon added 12 points and 7 rebounds.
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Walter Clayton Jr., who had a quiet first half, came alive in the second half to score all 11 of his points. He also had 7 assists, 5 rebounds, a block, and a steal, helping his team stay in the game despite shooting just 3 of 10 from the field.
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Houston guard L.J. Cryer led all scorers with 19 points. J’wan Roberts had 8 points and 8 rebounds, and Emanuel Sharp added 8 points but had some costly mistakes in the second half.
A Tough Road to the Top
Florida’s win came after a tough tournament run, where they beat:
No. 16 Norfolk State (95-69)
No. 8 Connecticut (77-75)
No. 4 Maryland (87-71)
No. 3 Texas Tech (84-79)
No. 1 Auburn (79-73)
The Gators’ championship also gave the SEC its first national title since 2012. The SEC had a historic year, sending a record 14 teams to the tournament and 4 to the Elite Eight.
How the Game Played Out
From the start, Houston’s tough defense and physical play slowed Florida’s fast-paced style. Houston took control early, leading 16-10 as both teams struggled to shoot from three-point range. Florida went through a five-minute scoring drought, but Will Richard hit a trio of threes to help even the score at 21-21.
Houston quickly responded with an 8-0 run, but Florida stayed close. The Gators trailed just 31-28 at halftime, despite Clayton being scoreless in the first half.
The second half started with more fouls, and a technical on Florida’s bench helped Houston build a 42-30 lead. At this point, the Cougars looked in control, and Florida was clearly frustrated.
But just like in their previous tournament games, the Gators didn’t give up. Denzel Aberdeen, Martin, and Thomas Haugh helped spark a comeback, cutting the lead to 45-42. Then Clayton finally scored—hitting a layup and a free throw to tie the game at 48 with 7:54 left.
National Championship: A Wild Finish
The final minutes were tense, with both teams trading baskets. A Clayton three-pointer tied the game at 60-60 with just over three minutes left. Houston managed to go up 63-62 with under a minute to go.
Then Martin made two clutch free throws with 46.5 seconds left to give Florida its first lead since early in the game. It was only the second time the Gators led all night.
Houston had one last chance, but Sharp lost control of the ball, and Florida recovered it. Aberdeen hit one free throw to make it 65-63 with 19.7 seconds to play.
In the final moments, Houston tried to get a shot, but Clayton’s defense forced Sharp into a bad dribble. The ball was loose, and Condon came up with it—sealing the win and the championship for Florida.
