Florida vs Houston score: March Madness highlights as Gators win NCAA championship

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The Florida Gators beat Houston at its own game.

They made under 40% of their field goals. They made just 25% of their 3-pointers. But they made free throws and managed to out-rebound one of the best rebounding teams in the country, before holding their opponent without a shot on a game-deciding final possession.

It was familiar territory for Florida, for which nothing has come easy throughout the men's NCAA Tournament. The Gators edged out Dan Hurley's two-time defending champion Huskies in the second round. They eked out a win over a furious Texas Tech team. And they persevered in an all-out brawl against SEC Auburn in the Final Four.

At times, it felt like Houston was in total control in Florida's national championship win. The game felt ugly and grimy, Florida looked like it lost its composure multiple times with technicals against the bench and Rueben Chinyelu. Even on the final possession, it looked like Houston might be able to win in dramatic fashion. But as the Cougars did against Duke in the Final Four, Florida swarmed the ball no matter who had it, and ultimately forced a panic drop in the air from Emanuel Sharp. No one could recover it, and Kelvin Sampson was left dumbfounded on the Houston bench.

Here's the recap below. Paste BN Sports brought live updates, highlights and analysis from the game:

Houston vs Florida score, NCAA championship updates

This section will be updated live.

Buy Florida championship book, T-shirts, gear

Florida basketball's thrilling run to the 2025 NCAA championship can be commemorated with a special collector's book and commemorative page from The Gainesville Sun. In addition, here's how to buy championship gear, hats and T-shirts after the Gators' win over Houston. 

Buy Florida championship book, gear

Florida wins its third national championship

With the clock at triple zeroes, Todd Golden has joined Billy Donovan as the only coaches in Florida history to win national championships.

Donovan, of course, brought titles to Gainesville in 2006 and 2007.

Florida wins the national title

Houston can't get a shot off, as Emanuel Sharp goes for a 3-pointer but leaves his feet, keeping him from touching the ball to avoid a travel.

Florida takes the ball with time expiring for the 65-63 win. Onions!

Denzel Aberdeen makes 1 of 2 free throws

Aberdeen misses the first and makes the second, extending Florida's lead to 65-63 with 19.7 seconds left.

Houston likely going to hold possession to take the final shot here, looking to send the game to overtime or win on a 3-pointer.

Emanuel Sharp turns it over

Houston can't get a shot off, as Sharp turns it over after losing the ball out of bounds. Florida takes possession with a 64-63 lead and 26.5 seconds.

Cougars need a stop.

Joseph Tugler fouls out

Tugler fouls out on the shooting foul to Alijah Martin, sending Martin to the foul line as Florida trails 63-62.

Florida takes a 64-63 lead on the pair of makes. Houston regains possession with 46.5 seconds left.

Walter Clayton Jr. again with the big shot

Clayton Jr. is doing it all right now, as he hits his first 3-pointer of the night to tie the game at 60 with 3:14 to go. One of the best players in college basketball showing what he's made of.

Walter Clayton Jr. ties it again with and-one

Clayton Jr. is starting to take over, as he turns in another and-one layup to tie the game at 51. Clayton Jr. is up to eight points with five rebounds and seven assists.

Walter Clayton Jr. makes first field goal

Walter Clayton Jr.'s first field goal comes at a big moment, as he hits a tough layup and gets fouled to make the score 48-48 on the 3-point play. Huge bucket for Clayton Jr.

Clayton is up to four points with four rebounds and seven assists on the night.

Who is Florida's coach?

Florida's coach is Todd Golden, who's in his third season with the Gators. The 39-year-old coach was previously the head coach at San Francisco, which he led to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021-22 before taking the Florida job.

Florida bench called for technical

Florida's bench didn't like a foul call on Will Richard and was called for a technical four after multiple Gators stepped up onto the elevated court. It's a rough swing for Florida, as L.J. Cryer makes the free throw and then makes a 3-pointer to take a 40-30 lead after the four-point swing.

Florida fans aren't happy about that call.

Walter Clayton Jr. first half stats

Clayton entered the national championship game averaging an NCAA Tournament-high 24.6 points per game but was held scoreless by the Cougars' tough defense in the first half. He's 0 for 4 shooting on all 3-point attempts but does have five assists.

Clayton scored 34 points in Florida's Final Four win over Auburn, after scoring 30 against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. He also scored 23 points each in the first and second round against Norfolk State and UConn, respectively.

Will Richard first half stats

Have a first half, Will Richard. The 6-foot-4 guard is carrying the Gators' offense so far, with 14 points and four 3-point makes through 20 minutes of game time.

Richard has 14 of Florida's 28 points. He's averaging 13.2 points per game this season.

Alex Condon travels

The Florida big man doesn't look like himself right now, as he has three traveling violations in the first half. The 7-footer is 2 of 3 shooting with six points and three turnovers.

Houston on 8-0 run

Florida shows some life, tying the game at 21 on Will Richard's third 3-pointer of the game. However, Houston responds with an 8-0 run on a pair of 3-pointers from L.J. Cryer and Mylik Wilson, who also caught an alley-oop dunk in transition during the run.

Houston leads 29-21 with under five minutes left in the first half.

Has Houston ever won a national championship?

Houston has never won a national championship, despite reaching the final game in back-to-back seasons in 1983 and 1984. The Cougars are making their first appearance in the national championship game since.

Has Florida ever won a national championship?

Florida basketball has two national championships, which came in back-to-back seasons in 2006-07. The Gators were coached by Billy Donovan, who's now the head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

Florida was also the national title runner-up in 2000.

First 3-pointers of the game fall

Florida's Will Richard makes the first and second 3-pointers of the game from either team, as he hits from range on back-to-back possessions for Florida to make the score 18-16.

Alex Condon stats

Here are Condon's per-game averages this season:

• 2024-25: 10.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game on 49.1% shooting (33.3% from 3-point range).

Florida-Houston tied at under-16 timeout

It's been quite the battle so far, as both teams are still trying to settle in and beat the early-game jitters.

Houston is dominating on the boards, with four offensive rebounds through nearly five minutes of game clock. Bigs are leading the way so far for both teams, as Florida's Alex Condon and Houston's Joseph Tugler have four points each.

Florida vs Houston hype video

As Florida and Houston get set to tip off, CBS released a hype video for this anticipated matchup.

A beautiful dream indeed.

Florida average points per game

Florida boasts one of the top offenses in college basketball, averaging 85.3 points per game this season. The Gators' mark ranks third nationally, behind Alabama (90.7) and Gonzaga (86.4).

Florida's defense isn't quite as good, ranking 104th nationally allowing 69.8 points per game. But that has some to do with the Gators playing at a fast pace.

Who is L.J. Cryer?

Fifth-year senior guard L.J. Cryer, Houston's leading scorer this season, looks to become the first player to win national championships at two different schools on Monday. Cryer won a title at Baylor in 2021 and looks for his second against Florida.

Interestingly enough, the championship he won at Baylor was the Bears' first in program history. Houston also goes for its first against the Gators.

Houston average points per game

Houston has the 172nd-ranked scoring offense nationally, averaging 73.9 points per game this season. The Cougars' calling card is their defense, however, as they boast the No. 1 scoring defense at 58.5 points allowed per game.

Houston NCAA championship wins

To date, Houston has never won a national championship. Indeed, this is the Cougars' first national title game appearance since making it twice in 1983 and 1984. For more on their history, click here.

Houston vs Florida betting odds

Odds from BetMGM as of Monday, April 7

• Spread: Florida (-1.5)
• Over/under: 140.5
• Moneyline: Florida -115 | Houston -105

Houston vs Florida picks, predictions

Here are our experts' predictions for Houston-Florida in the men's national championship game on Monday night:

• Jordan Mendoza, Paste BN: Houston 72, Florida 69
• Paul Myerberg, Paste BN: Houston 71, Florida 63
• Erick Smith, Paste BN: Florida 66, Houston 65
• Eddie Timanus, Paste BN: Florida 68, Houston 65
• Blake Toppmeyer, Paste BN: Houston 75, Florida 71
• Dan Wolken, Paste BN: Houston 61, Florida 57

Houston vs Florida time today

• Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
• Date: Monday, April 7
• Location: Alamodome (San Antonio)

Houston and Florida's national title matchup is scheduled to tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET from the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Watch Florida-Houston college basketball national championship live with Fubo (free trial)

Where to watch Houston vs Florida basketball

• TV channel: CBS
• Streaming: March Madness Live app | Fubo (free trial)

Houston vs. Florida will air live on CBS, with streaming options available on the March Madness Live app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.