Every minute of the men’s basketball final lived up to the March Madness hype. The Florida Gators went up against the Houston Cougars in a neck-to-neck game. Gators went on to win 65-63 at Alamodome in San Antonio. And with that win, the Gators have ended one of the longest conference droughts.
After 13 Years, Florida Gators Break the SEC Cloud
It has been 13 long years since any team from the SEC won a national title trophy. In fact, the last time the conference pulled it off was Kentucky’s 2012 run. And that was all thanks to Anthony Davis and a ton of future NBA talent. This is an equally momentous occasion for the Gators.
Florida hasn’t won a championship since its legendary back-to-back wins in 2006 and 2007. But on Monday night, the Gators climbed back on the podium with a brilliant game after 18 long years—brilliant but far from easy.
WATCH: College basketball team Florida Gators wins NCAA National Championship game.pic.twitter.com/T6pXTDBPE7
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At halftime, Florida trailed Houston 31-28. Their star player, Walter Clayton Jr., was ice-cold, scoreless, and looking out of rhythm. But the second half changed the momentum entirely. Houston came out with an 11-2 run, but the technicals were all over the place.
The Cougars even pulled ahead by as much as nine, thanks to LJ Cryer’s deep threes and Mylik Wilson’s alley-oop and banked triple. But it was at this moment that the Gators made a comeback. The Gators went on a 12-3 sprint, turning transition opportunities into highlight plays and letting their big men do the work.
Alex Condon scored 12 points by simply outrunning the Cougars in key moments. Then came the Walter Clayton Jr. redemption arc. After 32 silent minutes, he made a tough and-1 layup to tie it at 48. And just like that, the game was back on.
Even as the Gators kept the momentum, Houston was not far behind. With 46 seconds left, Alijah Martin drew a crucial foul and sank both free throws to give Florida a 64-63 lead. That would be all they needed. Zooming out, this is not a win just for Florida.
It was a moment of SEC resurgence. Since that 2012 Kentucky win, the SEC has watched other conferences stand in the spotlight year after year. Only the Big Ten has had a longer dry spell, which lasted for 25 years. As of Monday night, that drought for the SEC has ended.
KEEP READING: Florida Gators NCAA Men’s Basketball Title History
With this win, the Gators have not only added a third championship to their legacy but also given the SEC a much-needed boost.
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