The Florida Gators took down the Houston Cougars on Monday night to officially win the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
Florida led in this matchup for just over one minute but still managed to walk away with the victory, performing well in the final minutes of the game to take down the Cougars 65-63.
The Gators were led in this matchup by guards Will Richard and Walter Clayton Jr., who contributed a combined total of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Clayton was the leading force behind the Gators’ run to the National Championship this season, averaging an astounding 22.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 43.5% from behind the three-point line in the tournament.
This win marks the third time the Florida Gators have won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, with the previous winnings coming in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007.
Florida Head Coach Todd Golden praised his players after the game. He said they “didn’t panic when it got tough” and remained consistent in their approach to the game.
“They did a great job of never getting too high, never getting too low. When we went down 12 in the second half, we stayed the course. We didn’t point fingers, didn’t start to try to make hero plays, gambling defensively. We got rewarded because of that toughness that we displayed,” he said, per CNN.
Golden then explained how the Gators’ defensive effort against one of the most physical teams in the country led to the national championship victory.
“It was our defense. It was stops. It was finding a way to be able to get some run-outs. As we talked about, we didn’t get a lot of transition, but we were able to break and get a couple,” he said, according to CNN.
Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson said the loss was “disappointing,” but he was proud of his players because there are “a lot of teams that are not built for six straight wins.”
“This team was, this team was built, this team had the character and the toughness and the leadership. This team was built to win this tournament, and that’s why it’s so disappointing. We got here and had a chance and just didn’t get it done,” he explained, as reported by ESPN.
Despite the loss, many expect the Cougars to be back competing at the highest level in the 2025-26 season.
Houston is currently second in the betting odds to win the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship at +1200, trailing only the Duke Blue Devils for the best odds to win at +1000, according to ESPN Bet.