Florida Wins 3rd National Championship In School History With 65-63 Win Over Houston

Per ESPN: SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- On Florida's side, the lead-up to Monday's national championship game centered almost entirely around Walter Clayton Jr. The All-American guard was on a run not seen since Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker carried UConn to a pair of titles in the early 2010s.

It was evident immediately that Houston's scouting report did too.

After scoring a combined 64 points in his previous two games, Clayton didn't score his first point until the 14:57 mark of the second half against the Cougars. He didn't make his first field goal until there was 7:54 left in the game. It was the recipe for a comfortable Houston championship win, inevitably continuing the narrative about the Cougars' top-ranked defense.

But Florida's supporting cast kept the Gators in the game just long enough for Clayton to get going in the second half, erasing a 12-point deficit en route to a 65-63 win.

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