Florida Makes a Comeback to Defeat Houston and Win NCAA Title

SAN ANTONIO—  On Florida's side, the buildup to Monday's national championship game was almost wholly focused on Walter Clayton Jr.  The All-American guard was on a run not seen since Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker led UConn to two championships in 2011 and 2014.

It was instantly clear that Houston's scouting report also focused on Clayton.

Clayton did not score his first point against the Cougars until 14:57 in the second half despite scoring 64 points in his previous two combined games.  He didn't score his first field goal until 7:54 left in the contest.  It was the recipe for an easy Houston championship victory, which unavoidably fed the narrative about the Cougars' top-ranked defence.

However, Florida's supporting cast kept the Gators in the game long enough for Clayton to get going in the second half, as they erased a 12-point deficit to win 65-63.  Clayton was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 11 points and seven assists on Monday night.

"Our motto is, we can all go," Clayton explained.  "We have a team of people who can go.  It's not only about me.  My teammates kept me down until I could put the ball in the basket.  "Shout out to the boys."

 Florida has grown accustomed to coming from behind in this tournament; this was the third time the Gators rallied from a significant second-half disadvantage.  They were behind nine points against Auburn early in the second half of Saturday's Final Four game and as many as ten points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

With their comeback from 12 points Monday night, the Gators became the first champion in 20 years to overcome at least a nine-point deficit in all three rounds, according to ESPN Research.

 The national championship was Florida's third since 2006, and Todd Golden, 39, became the youngest head coach to win the title since Jim Valvano (37) in 1983.  It was also the Southeastern Conference's first national championship since Kentucky defeated Kansas in 2012.

Will Richard led Florida with 18 points, including four three-pointers in the first half, keeping the Gators within striking distance.  Houston guard L.J. Cryer led the team in scoring with 19 points.

Houston's offensive strengths this season, 3-point shooting and offensive rebounds were absent in the first 20 minutes.  The Cougars shot 2-for-14 from outside the arc in the first half, and despite six offensive rebounds, they did not score a second-chance point.

 Houston coach Kelvin Sampson had significant contributions from bench players Mylik Wilson and Ja'Vier Francis.  The two combined for six points in 22 minutes against Duke in the semifinals but had 13 points in a combined 24 minutes versus Florida in the first half.

Florida committed nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Clayton was shut out in the first half.  It was only the third time he had a scoreless half this season, with the other two coming against Tennessee.  Houston was aggressively hard-hedging on ball screens, removing the ball from Clayton's hands early.  The Cougars wouldn't let him settle into a rhythm going left, where he had so much success during the tournament.  He had five assists in the first half.

Richard, on the other hand, was the sole reason Florida remained competitive. He entered the break with 14 points, having shot 1-for-6 and scored seven in a victory over Auburn on Saturday.

The primary concern at halftime was whether either team could get hot from the perimeter and start to open up the game on offence. 

But after the half, it became a game of whistles, with a continuous parade of players marching to the free throw line.  Florida committed five fouls in the first 3:39 of the second half, including a technical foul on the bench.  After halftime, several whistles landed on Houston, resulting in 12 fouls in the first 6:15.

The game required a spark, and the two stars that led Houston and Florida to the championship game were delivered.  Cryer scored only five points in the first half but 14 after the break, including three 3-pointers.  Clayton's first points came at the free throw line, but he followed with two three-pointers to give Florida some much-needed momentum.