SAN ANTONIO—The climax of the national championship game bore a dense and unsightly play—a game type Houston thrives on—except this time, Florida dictated the tide, inducing turnovers and missed shots from the Cougars to close the game victorious on Monday night.
“The game plan was the most physical team is going to win,” stated Gators guard Alijah Martin.
Within the final 1:21 of their narrow 65-63 defeat, the Cougars plagued themselves with four turnovers, sealing their fate.
“Just fantastic towards the end, how hard we played defensively,” expressed Alex Condon, a pivotal figure from Australia within the team’s ranks. “I believe we secured nine defensive stops at the game’s close. It was simply a collective effort to clinch this win. It was unbelievable.”
Emanuel Sharp, representing Houston, failed to launch a three-pointer with Walter Clayton Jr. charging toward him, jumping with stretching left arm. As Sharp found himself airborne, the options narrowed to either releasing the ball or facing a travel call upon landing.
Desperately trying to screen Clayton, Sharp hoped a teammate would retrieve the stray ball and attempt a shot, but Condon threw himself onto the floor to snatch the ball with time ticking away.
“He performed an astonishing shot contest,” recounted Houston guard L.J. Cryer regarding Clayton’s defense. “He truly executed a winning maneuver.”
Despite Houston trailing for merely 63 seconds throughout the night, they fell short of claiming their first championship title.
In contrast, it was an attractive scrappiness for Florida, who wiped out a 12-point deficit after the break to secure their third national triumph—their first finals since their consecutive wins in 2006 and 2007.
The Gators hadn’t held the lead since the scores marked 8-6 until Alijah Martin sank two crucial free throws with 46 seconds left, flipping the score 64-63 in their favor. This came right after Cryer lost control beneath the Houston hoop, allowing Condon to seize possession.
Sharp also made an error when Will Richard executed a steal with 26 seconds on the clock, resulting in another free throw. Houston used their timeout with 19 seconds left, scheming for one final offensive attempt.
Cryer ultimately linked with Sharp, who stood no chance against Clayton’s rapid approach.
“We had an opportunity for victory, just didn’t manage a shot,” lamented Houston’s J’Wan Roberts, who has been part of 149 wins over his five-season stretch with Houston.
With the final buzzer, Sharp lingered crouched on the hardwood floor, receiving consolation from both teammate Ja’Vier Francis and his opponent Clayton—both hailing from the Tampa Bay region.
Even with merely nine turnovers during the game, Houston committed four during those critical final moments following Cryer’s shot attempt with 2:29 remaining which positioned them temporarily ahead at 62-60.
During post-game reflections, Coach Kelvin Sampson noted, “I’m replaying those closing two possessions endlessly. It’s unfathomable that we couldn’t manage a shot in those circumstances, just couldn’t manage it.” He added, “Florida managed to push us off the line effectively, forcing interior play. Our finishing just didn’t cut it.”