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Florida Gators players raise the trophy after beating Houston in the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
April 8 (UPI) -- Walter Clayton Jr. failed to score for 25 minutes, but resurrected his shooting stroke late to help the Florida Gators erase a 12-point deficit, shocking the Houston Cougars on Monday in the NCAA men's basketball tournament finale.
The All-American guard, who went scoreless in the first half, scored nine of his 11 second-half points over the final eight minutes of the 65-63 win in San Antonio. The Gators led for a total of 63 seconds en route to their third title.
"My team held me down until I was able to put the ball in the basket," Clayton, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, said on the CBS broadcast.
With the win, the Gators (36-4) tied for the third-largest comeback in history for an NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale. They also snapped the Cougars' national-best 18-game winning streak and denied them of their first title.
"We've had to comeback quite a bit this tournament," Gators coach Todd Golden said. "These guys have been elite with their composure. ... They compete and they find a way to win. They are winners. They continue to find a way to win."
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Florida guard Will Richard reacts to a Houston turnover in the closing seconds of the second half during the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
The Gators shot just 37.9% in the first half, but hit 45.4% of their shots over the final 20 minutes, compared to the Cougars' 31.2% clip. Clayton, who went 0 for 4 in the first half, made 3 of 6 shots and all four of his free throw attempts in the second half.
Senior guard Will Richard scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half to carry the Gators early on. Sophomore forward Alex Condon chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds for the Gators. Cougars guard L.J. Cryer scored 19 points. He was the only Houston player to reach double figures.
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Houston forward Ja'Vier Francis dunks the ball over Florida forward Thomas Haugh in the first half of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
Sweat-spraying blocks and breathless defensive pressure helped the Cougars (35-5) dominate the Gators for the majority of the night at the Alamodome.
The Cougars, who have the nation's stingiest defense, turned the third-best offense in college basketball into a mess of turnovers while gang-guarding flustered Clayton.
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Houston guard Emanuel Sharp dives for a loose ball in the second half against Florida during the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
The Gators took their first lead of the night about 4:23 into the game, but the Cougars responded with a 10-2 run. Houston didn't trail again until less than a minute remained on the game clock.
The Gators fought back to tie the score at 21-21 about six minutes before halftime, but a torrent of turnovers sparked an 8-0 run for the Cougars, who went ahead 29-21 and carried a 31-28 advantage into the second half.
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Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. (L) shoots over Houston guard Terrance Arceneaux during the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
The Gators totaled nine turnovers in the first half, compared to just three for the Cougars.
Cryer and the Cougars started the second half with an 11-2 run for a 42-30 lead, the largest deficit the Gators faced all tournament.
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Florida head coach Todd Golden raises the trophy after the Gators beat Houston in the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament finale Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
Clayton finally found the net for the first time with two free throws five minutes into the second half. The Gators used an 8-0 run to trim the deficit three to about three minutes later.
Cryer answered with a 3-pointer to momentarily stop the bleeding, but the Gators crawled back by scoring the next six points to tie the game at 48-48.
Clayton didn't make his first field goal until 7:54 remained. The All-American guard hit a layup off the backboard while being fouled. He then hit a game-tying free throw.
The Cougars went without a point for a stretch of more than four minutes in the middle of the second half. They would retake the lead with 7:13 remaining, but Clayton tied the score once again with another layup and free throw.
The game stayed tight with made shots over the next four possessions. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp hit a clutch 3-pointer during that sequence to keep the Cougars in front.
But Clayton smoldered, making a game-tying 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining. The Gators earned their first lead since early in the first half on two free throws from senior guard Alijah Martin with 46 seconds remaining, and they never trailed again.
Florida stayed in front with a made free throw from Denzel Aberdeen with 19 seconds remaining. Clayton then helped force a turnover before Condon jumped on a loose ball on the game's final possession.
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