Image Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

NCAA Men’s Championship Result – Florida Pulls Off Late Second-Half Comeback to Beat Houston for First Title since 2007

Florida beat Houston for their third-largest comeback in national championship history.

Image Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Unlike the Duke Blue Devils, the Florida Gators didn’t panic in the second half and defeated the Houston Cougars 65-63 in the 2025 NCAA championship game on Monday night. Houston, who were seeking a first-ever national title, lost control in the late second half and Florida secured their first third championship.

The Gators ended the 17-year drought to win the NCAA championship. Florida last won the national title in 2007 which was their second straight trophy. Their two-point win became the smallest margin of victory in a men’s championship game since Duke overcame Butler, 61-59, in 2010.

HOW IT FEELS TO BECOME A NATIONAL CHAMPION 🐊🏆 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/JR3O12tapx
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

On the other hand, the Cougars, who held a double-digit lead in the middle of the second half, failed to win their maiden national title. Houston appeared in their first championship since 1984. The Cougars reached three championship games so far and lost all three.

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Florida overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat Houston

Houston built pressure on Florida from the beginning and ended the first half 31-28. However, both teams were not able to get in a rhythm offensively as they shot 38% from the field. Kelvin Sampson’s side opened the second half with an 11-2 run, courtesy of LJ Cryer’s two 3-pointers.

Houston had a 12-point lead following a 4-point sequence on a controversial foul with 7:21 left in the game. The Gators’ coaches jumped onto the court following an off-the-ball defensive foul on their guard. Florida, who had their biggest deficit of the postseason, pulled off a comeback and responded with a 12-3 run to reduce the deficit to three points.

The Florida bench is assessed a technical following a foul call on Will Richard. pic.twitter.com/lrm9MSkqTB
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 8, 2025

Both teams were competing with each other offensively and were tied 12 times throughout the game. The Gators opened up their first lead with 46 seconds remaining. Florida didn’t panic like Duke in the final seconds and held the nerves to beat Houston for their third-largest comeback in national championship history.

Walter Clayton Jr. was named Most Outstanding Player. The 22-year-old guard scored 34 points in the Final Four against Auburn and 11 points and seven assists in the championship game. Will Richard added 14 out of 18 points in the first half. LJ Cryer finished with 19 points on 6-18 shooting and remained the only Houston player to score in double digits.

Image Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.