Florida denies Houston their first NCAA title; Gators grab it 65-63

Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. somehow overcame Houston’s spirit-crushing defense Monday night to will out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller not decided until Clayton’s own D stopped the Cougars from taking a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Clayton finished with 11 points, all in the second half, but what he’ll be remembered for most was getting Houston’s Emanuel Sharp to stop in the middle of his motion as he tried to go up for the game-winning 3 in the final seconds.

Clayton ran at him, Sharp dropped the ball and, unable to pick it up lest he get called for traveling, watched it bounce there while the clock ticked to zero.

Will Richard had 18 points to keep the Gators (36-4) in it, and they won their third overall title and first since 2007, this time led by third-year coach Todd Golden. The Cougars (35-5) and coach Kelvin Sampson were denied their first championship.

Sampson, who designed a defense that held Florida under 70 points for only the second time this season, looked on in shock.

Instead of the 69-year-old becoming the oldest coach to win the title, the 39-year-old Golden becomes the youngest since N.C. State’s Jim Valvano in 1983 to win it all.

Houston ends up at the same place as the Phi Slama Jama teams of the 1980s — in second place, but memorable.



(AP Photo Stephanie Scarborough)