The Florida Gators have finally broken their NCAA Championship title drought as they hung on to defeat the Houston Cougars 65-63 with a massive comeback.
At one point in the game, the Cougars were up 42-30 after shutting down Walter Clayton Jr. to zero points in the first half. The Guard and his team rallied, fighting back to snatch the title thanks to a questionable final play.
Fuming Kendrick Perkins Lays Into Houston for Questionable Final Play
With the Cougars being down two points with over 18 seconds to go, they made a baffling decision that appeared to cost them the game.
Rather than winding down the clock and driving it to the basket to take the game into overtime, Houston opted to try to set up a three-point buzzer-beater to win the game, a risk that ultimately cost them everything.
With just six seconds left on the clock, Emanuel Sharp went for glory as he attempted to go for the three-pointer, which was ultimately blocked down, leading to a series of events that ended up with the Gators diving onto the ball, sealing their comeback to claim the NCAA Championship.
What the hell was that??? Jesus Christ Houston
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 8, 2025
Immediately following the game, former NBA Player and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins posted a tweet questioning what the Cougars were trying to do, laying into them for costing themselves the game.
“What the hell was that??? Jesus Christ Houston,” Perkins angrily tweeted just seconds after the game, much to the fans’ agreement, who were also left confused by Houston’s decision-making in the final moments of the game.
“Should have touched ball still would have been 3 seconds left, can’t let the clock run out….” One fan replied under Perkins’s tweet, with most replies echoing the same sentiment.
Some fans also questioned Perkin’s decision to tweet what he did, critiquing him for not giving Florida the credit they deserved in a heroic comeback.
Walter Clayton Jr. Fightback
Despite the Cougars’ increasingly baffling decision-making, what truly turned the game around was Clayton Jr.’s fightback. After being held for zero points in the first half, the Florida Guard turned it around, scoring 11 points in the second.
Clayton Jr was also influential in getting the Gators to the final, scoring 34 points in his team’s 73-79 victory over the Auburn Tigers.
KEEP READING: Fans Erupt Over Controversial Call Against Florida in Title Game: ‘That Technical Foul Call Was Insanity’
The Florida Star also won Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Championship final for his efforts in sealing the turnaround. Two outstanding performances in the final stages of the tournament will only boost his draft stock.
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