The foul was assessed when Houston had a 36-31 advantage with less than three minutes into the second half.
Florida Gators defeated the Houston Gators 65-63 in the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament championship game on Monday night. However, the game was also discussed for a technical foul as the Florida bench was assessed a technical foul during the second half of the game.
The first half was relatively clean from both sides, with only four fouls called, but the second half was a relatively busy period, especially in the early minutes. The Cougars held a 31-28 lead at halftime and with 17:21 remaining in regulation, a foul was called on Will Richard.
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The foul was assessed when Houston had a 36-31 advantage with less than three minutes into the second half. The Gators’ coaches jumped onto the court following an off-the-ball defensive foul on their guard.
Florida’s bench and assistant coaches made objections on the other side of the court. The coaching staff, who were in disbelief and frustration, prompted the officials to assess a technical foul to the Gators bench. Florida coach Todd Golden yells to referees: “That’s bullshit!”
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According to the NCAA rules, only one coach is allowed to stand within the coaching box during the game and assistant coaches must remain on the bench. The rule has a brief mention about “consistent enforcement of bench decorum, the coaching box and unsporting conduct rules for both players and bench personnel.”
“This has been building on the Florida sideline,” CBS broadcaster Ian Eagle said. “… Because the benches are lower based on the elevated floor, we saw a number of people pop off the bench and take a step up.”
Later, the Cougars guard L.J. Cryer attempted two technical foul free throws. Houston kept possession of the ball and hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to double digits. It was a 4-point sequence for Houston after the foul. Meanwhile, this 4-point push didn’t harm the Gators later in the game.
Despite a 10-point lead at the beginning of the second half, Houston couldn’t counter the offensive strength of Florida, who sparked an 18-8 run to tie the game at 48 points. Alijah Martin’s two free throws and Denzel Aberdeen’s one free throw in the end assured a clinical victory for the Gators. Through out the game, Houston made 19 personal fouls and Florida made nine.
NCAAM 
