The Big Lead

Houston loses national championship to Florida after dreadful last possession

The Florida Gators win the 2025 NCAA Tournament after an absolutely dreadful last possession by the Houston Cougars.

By Tyler Reed

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson and forward Joseph Tugler look on against the Florida Gators during the second half of the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.
Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson and forward Joseph Tugler look on against the Florida Gators during the second half of the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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If you were tuning into the Men's College Basketball National Championship to watch a basketball game, you were out of luck.

The title game between the Florida Gators and the Houston Cougars was more of a street fight than a basketball game.

RELATED: The Houston Cougars already know who will replace Kelvin Sampson when he retires

However, in the end, it would be the Gators who cut down the nets with a 65-63 win over the Cougars. Houston had a chance to tie or take the lead late; however, their last possesion will be one that haunts the program for decades.

You can live with missing the shot. However, it will be hard to swallow that the Cougars had to watch as the ball bounced on the court, as the precious seconds on the clock quickly evaporated, securing a Gators victory.

After a pump fake gone wrong, the Cougars were left looking on as the Gators and their fans celebrated the 2025 title.

The Cougars led for most of the game, including a three-point lead going into halftime. However, the SEC Tournament champions would not be denied, securing all those weird conference homers the right to celebrate their conference got the big win.

It may have not been the tournament for upsets, but it was the tournament of talented teams putting on a show in the Final Four. How many days is it until next season begins? We don't want to sleep in May after that ending.

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