Walter Clayton Jr. consoles Emanuel Sharp after final possession in 2025 national championship

With 19.7 seconds left in the 2025 national championship, Florida took a 65-63 lead. Kelvin Sampson called timeout, giving Houston one final chance to bring home the program’s first-ever title.

Emanuel Sharp brought the ball up, but Alex Condon was there to force the steal. That sealed Florida’s first national championship since 2007 – and meant heartbreak for Houston.

As the Gators’ celebration started, star guard Walter Clayton Jr. found Sharp and consoled him after that final possession. The Houston standout sat crouched near mid-court, head in his hands after failing to get a shot off on the last play of the game.

Emanuel Sharp consoled by Walter Clayton Jr. after the turnover. pic.twitter.com/Ats4V0TsBt

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 8, 2025

Sharp was looking to attempt a potential game-winning three-pointer, but the Florida defense smothered the shot attempt. Instead of taking the shot, Sharp instead chose to bounce the ball on the ground, which would have resulted in a travel if he touched the ball again. Florida dove for the ball and the clock expired.

The Gators mounted a furious charge in the second half after Houston went up by as many as 12 points. From there, UF started to turn the tables, rattling off an 18-6 run to tie things up and set the stage for a thrilling finish.

Florida and Houston continued to trade blows from there, though the Gators couldn’t quite get over the hump. Their only lead was 8-6 early in the first half, but that changed with 46 seconds left when Alijah Martin hit a free throw to put Florida ahead, 64-63. A Denzel Aberdeen free throw with 19.7 seconds left made it 65-63 – and that, ultimately, held for the final.

Will Richard led the charge for Florida, thanks to a monster first half. He had a team-high 18 points while Condon added 12 points and seven rebounds. Following a silent first half, Walter Clayton Jr. emerged down the stretch, scoring all 11 of his points in the final nine minutes of the game.

On the Houston side, LJ Cryer had a game-high 19 points to go with six rebounds. No other Cougar reached double figures, though, as they used a balanced attack in Monday’s game.

With the victory, Florida brought home its first national championship since 2007, when the Billy Donovan-led Gators won their second straight title. That was the last time UF played in the title game until Monday – and the first championship under Todd Golden will surely be a memorable one after the impressive comeback.