San Antonio was the site of the grand closure – where Florida was crowned champion. The flattering end to this year’s presentation of March Madness brought about a one-seed showdown between Houston and Florida. Despite the Cougars’ hot start and euphoria following the victory over Duke in the Final Four, the Gators seized control of the last twenty minutes of action.
In their home state of Texas, Houston was the talk of the town. The story this time did not reflect a fairytale ending. The Cougars’ late-game heroics weren’t supplemented for success as Houston’s once 12-point lead dwindled and eventually collapsed. Deja vu, Houston? I think so.
It’s hard to believe that Houston fell late in the game. For a team that had consistently been so disciplined and mature during the final stretch of games, the National Championship stage almost seemed too big. In case you were sleeping under a rock, the majority of the game was controlled by the Houston Cougars. Florida won because of their execution down the stretch. Essentially, the script versus Duke was flipped against Houston. But where did Houston go wrong? Or, a better question, where did Florida go right?
Florida took control late in the second half after chipping at the lead for the last 14 minutes. Houston’s double-digit lead would eventually go away at the 13:24 minute mark. However, below the surface level, Florida did much more than just “get hot” in the final stages of the game.
The game took a shift at the 3:14 mark when Walter Clayon Jr. hit a three to tie the game at 60 a piece. This also came following a turnover from LJ Cryer; that was the story of the second half. Florida’s defensive prowess overran Houston and ultimately caused the Cougars to fold.
Of course, you can point to the final play where Houston failed to even get off a shot attempt. In reality, Florida’s defensive intensity ramped up long before that. Todd Golden had his team playing with a “no bust” mindset. Florida was in no position to attack the game head-on. Instead, let the pieces fall into place and play to your strengths.
Houston wasn’t shooting the ball particularly well in the first half, but definitely well enough to where Florida had to make some adjustments. The Gators found themselves trailing 31-28 at the half, but Houston held all the momentum. It was nothing new for Florida as the Gators regularly saw tight games at the half in the NCAA Tournament. The only change was the approach, especially on the largest stage.
Aside from nearly switching everything and doubling whenever they could, Florida just flat-out won the defensive battle in the closing minutes. Of course, Cryer was going to get his buckets, but it was more about how he got his buckets. Florida made Houston work for every single last point through the final 10 minutes. From a viewership standpoint, nothing looked easy or even remotely easy. Cryer finished with 19 points, and Florida was living with that. In the end, they managed to force Cryer to give the ball up way beyond the three-point line and brought immense pressure.
The biggest factor in this win was how Florida managed to hang around. The brightest star in Walter Clayton was merely nonexistent through the first half. It was a big goose egg for Clayton as he finished the first half with zero points. It wasn’t until the 14:57 mark of the second half that Clayton earned his first points. Evidently, Sampson’s focus was solely on Clayton. Making sense of that, Clayton finished his last season-defining outing against Auburn with 30 points while single-handedly leading his team to the National Championship.
An underrated part of Clayton’s game was his passing ability, which strongly benefited Florida’s unorthodox offense. It was all about forcing the ball into the paint and letting Alex Condon and Will Richard do the rest. Condon and Richard played two different roles, but both were vital on that end of the floor. Especially in the first half, when Walter Clayton hadn’t even scored, Richard backed him with 14 points.
Frankly, these two kept Florida in the game. Houston’s lead should have been larger heading into the break, as they did everything they were supposed to. However, the disparity between the two halves was Florida’s emphasis on the glass and working the paint. Very rarely did Houston get second-chance opportunities, and on the opposite end of the floor, the Gators were finding ways to establish themselves down low.
Will Richard’s 18 points, with Alex Condon’s 12 points and 7 rebounds, go so far beyond the box score. Once Walter Clayton Jr found his mark and saw a couple shots hit the back of the net, Houston had every reason to panic.
This all goes without mentioning that both Joseph Tugler and Ja’Vier Frances got into major foul trouble early in the second half. As a result, Houston played to a smaller lineup, and Florida was able to expose the paint even more. This is a team that typically plays around the three-point line, but Monday night proved they can do it the opposite way as well. Florida finished with 28 points in the paint and got to the line 21 times. Goodnight.
It wasn’t a pretty win, but Florida managed and controlled the game when it mattered most. The 65-63 victory marked the Gators’ third championship in school history. It was the ending Houston had hoped for, but from a tactical standpoint, Florida outclassed the Cougars.
Make no mistake, Houston will be back.