Florida wins NCAA championship: Gators overcome double-digit deficit, rally past Houston for third title

Florida roared back from a 12-point deficit to stun Houston and claim the program's first national championship since 2007 on Monday night, 65-63. The Gators trailed 42-30 early in the second half before finding the same late surge that carried them past Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday.

>>> Houston's Kelvin Sampson was close to his 1st national title—It slipped away vs. Florida

Star guard Walter Clayton Jr. didn't make his first basket from the field until the 7:54 mark, but he came alive late to help spur the Gators to the college basketball mountaintop once more. His 3-pointer coming out of the final media timeout evened the score at 60-60 and showed how the Gators were finally able to crack the code on Houston's suffocating defense.

Alijah Martin put Florida ahead 64-63 with 46 seconds remaining when he stepped to the free-throw line and calmly drilled a pair. It was the Gators' first lead since the opening five minutes of the game. From there, Will Richard came up with a steal on Houston guard Emanuel Sharp with 26 seconds remaining to help seal the outcome.

The win made Florida coach Todd Golden, 39, the youngest national-title winning coach of the NCAA Tournament's modern era, capping a remarkable three-year turnaround. Golden had never won an NCAA Tournament game as a head coach prior to this season. But his program won six in a row in this Big Dance, cementing his rise to stardom and the Gators' return to glory.

Clayton wouldn't be denied down the stretch

Florida All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. was held scoreless for the first 25 minutes of Monday's national championship game before knocking down two free throws. Clayton finished with 11 points -- all in the second half -- and earned Final Four Most Outstanding Player for his efforts. Clayton scored 34 points in the win over Auburn to reach the title game and has cemented himself as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft this summer.

Houston did an outstanding job of guarding Clayton in the first half. The Cougars sold out on stopping Clayton with constant pressure on and off the ball. When the game was in the balance -- like it was against UConn, Texas Tech and Auburn -- Clayton stepped up. Clayton had one of the best NCAA Tournament runs ever, and it was fitting that he got going down the stretch when his team needed him most.

How did Houston not get a shot off?

In Houston's stunning comeback win over Duke last weekend in the Final Four, the Cougars trailed by as many as 14 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation. The Cougars led by as many as 12 points against Florida in the second half and squandered their lead away en route to a devastating title game loss. 

Houston was seeking its first title in program history, and not getting a shot off on the final possession against Florida will go down as a heartbreaker. Behind every comeback win by one team is a similar collapse on the other side. That's what happened to Houston on Monday. The Cougars have made a living off of being just a little bit tougher physically and mentally down the stretch when it mattered all season. But on Monday night, they folded when they absolutely needed to close. 

Comebacks were common during Florida's title run

FINAL: (1) Florida 65, (1) Houston 63

What. A. Finish.

Florida led for a total of 1:04 during its stunning comeback win over Houston to win its first national title since 2007. Florida took its first lead since the early minutes of the first half with 46 seconds remaining after Alijah Martin knocked down two free throws. Florida backup guard Denzel Aberdeen split a pair of free throws 30 seconds later, and the Gators got a stop on the defense end to claim the national title. 

Florida coming back to win has been a common theme during its run to a title. The Gators overcame a six-point deficit to defeat UConn in the second round, a 10-point deficit against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and eliminated Auburn after trailing by as many as nine. The 12-point comeback against the Cougars was the third-largest in the NCAA championship game.