On April 7, 2025, the Florida Gators faced the Houston Cougars in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Gators clinched their third national championship by barely beating the Houston Cougars 65-63. Even though Florida was trailing by 12 points early in the second half, they made an amazing comeback later in the game. Walter Clayton Jr., senior guard at Florida, led the Gator’s comeback. Surprisingly, Clayton Jr. went scoreless the entire first half, but had a major contribution to the comeback scoring 11 crucial points and making a necessary defensive stop in the final seconds of the game. This defensive stop prevented a potential game winning shot by Houston.
For Florida, it was a redemption game and a return to college basketball glory, because the Gators had not won a national championship since 2007. Winning under a third-year head coach is a pretty impressive accomplishment showing the team’s growth and resilience, marking off an amazing season. For Houston, the game was an opportunity to win their first-ever national championship. This game was much more than just an old trophy, it was about redemption and the non stop strive for greatness. Thomas Hendrich, a freshman at Liberty High School, was asked for his prediction of the final score of the game. He stated, “70-75, Florida wins” (Hendrich). He was then asked what his go-to game snack was, he said, “the purple Doritos are always the best snack, no matter what” (Hendrich).
Florida’s well earned win over the Houston Cougars came through toughness, strong defense, and key plays in the second half. After being down 12 points early in the second half, the Gators came back thanks to Walter Clayton Jr. Will Richard led the Gator’s scorers with 18 points, while his teammates Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh had crucial parts on both ends of the court. Houston actually started very strong but could not hold Florida’s momentum, even with their physical play, they failed to get a shot off in the final seconds.