Houston rue ‘incomprehensible’ collapse to hand Florida NCAA title | NCAA Tournament 2025

It has reached another play.

in The tournament game Where every possession felt like a fight, Florida fell for a final punch. Houston seed. For Colvin Sampson Coger, this difference will mix for a long time.

“They have made one play more than tonight,” said 69 -year -old Sampson. “We lost two points. This is what happened to him.”

This play, and the heroism, was decided in a final ball. With five seconds to go, Emmanuel Sharp caught up from Houston near the top of the key, and prepared to upgrade three victory over the possible match. But Walter Clayton Junior-the guardian of all America in Florida who struggled to find a rhythm throughout the night-was flying to him, completely, his hands, and remains far from the center to avoid picking.

Frequent frequency. Get the ball. In this second division of confusion, the matter ended.

“My mind was empty, frankly,” Cleiton said. “I was just 100 % go, try to get a stop. We finished getting it.”

Florida’s seat broke out. Australian center Alex Condon dove on the ground and covered the loose ball as the century appeared. The Gators team stormed the court at the celebration, 65-63 winners and champions NCAA for the first time since their successive titles during the Billy Donovan era in 2006 and 2007.

Condon said: “I am only a dove on that, I heard the bell go,” Condon said. “I didn’t feel the reality. A crazy feeling.”

Until the last three minutes, Houston was in control. One The slowest teams in all university basketballThe game played Grind-Out as it flourishes. The chopped committed only four transformations during the first 36 minutes and 35 seconds. After that, in a rapid collapse as shocking, they played the ball more than five times in the final 3:24 – including in each of their last four property.

This extension is condemned:

• 1:21 – Joseph inventory in the paint

• 0:52 LJ Cryer lost the ball under pressure

• 0:26 -Hehads the ball from his leg in the trap of the triple team

• 0:00 – Sharp broke the ball into the final play, unable to recover without traveling

During that period, the chopped did not try a single shot.

“In this position,” said Sampson. “We didn’t need three. We only needed a good look. We didn’t even refuse.”

For a program that was determined by the hardness of the late game throughout the season, the collapse was not moderate-and sad. There is a right With 1983.

“This was strength throughout the year, and it won the nearby matches,” Sampson said. “But tonight we did not.”

Clayton, who has not yet scored nearly 15 minutes, ended with 11 points and the defensive game specified for the game.

“We are working on these things in practice,” he said. “Jumping to the side so that he does not make a mistake in shooting, and staying on pump cannons [Condon] I got it. We won the game. “

For the elderly in Houston, the loss was deeply reduced.

Joan Roberts, talking about Sampson, who will be in 69 years old, said the oldest coach to win a national title. “So, very bad. This is painful. This was the last time I wore the shirt, and I feel panic.”

LJ Cryer, who led all scorers with 19 points, was still treating the end.

“We thought this is a game if we play well, we can win,” he said. “We have played well. We haven’t played very well in the past three minutes.”

Golden, who became the youngest coach to win a national title since Jim Vanno Fi was defeated by Gamma in 1983, that Gutors was to play on the margins. And they did.

“At the bottom, we made some winning plays defensively,” he said. “This last play was a completely amazing play. Walter recovered, closed without dirt, and Kundo did what he was doing – I got my body, a dove on the ground, and operated the victory.”

This was the difference: four final property, four transformations, zero shots. Another one play for Gators.