Florida is in the lead, leading by two with less than 20 seconds on the clock.
One possession for the title of national champion.
Following Houston’s final timeout, the Cougars inbounded the ball from under their own basket. UF graduate student guard Alijah Martin pressed while the rest of the Gators stayed back. Houston graduate student guard L.J. Cryer passed to junior guard Miles Uzan, who returned the ball to Cryer. Martin retreated, awaiting Cryer’s arrival at the half-court line.
Fifteen ticks to go.
Standing in front of Cryer, UF junior guard Will Richard dropped into his defensive stance. Behind him, there was a moment of hesitation — it was clear Houston was trying to set up a specific play. Cryer swung his right arm. Uzan broke away from Martin and received a pass just to the right.
Eleven seconds left.
Houston senior forward Ja’Vier Francis set a slight slip screen, but his original defender, sophomore forward Thomas Haugh, slid over. Now, Florida had two defenders on the ball near the baseline.
Uzan pulled back and reset with Cryer. Richard stayed tight on him. But then, from just right of the paint, a movement sparked — Houston redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp darted toward the ball. Cryer lofted it over. The staggered gate set the Cougars ran had worked. Their shooter was open.
Five and a half seconds left.
The moment Sharp — a 41% 3-point shooter during the season — caught the ball, UF senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. bolted toward him. Sharp rose for the potential game-winner, aiming to give the Cougars their first-ever national championship. Clayton launched from the baseline, reaching the 3-point arc in a blink. Both men soared.
Four and a half seconds left.
Clayton’s closeout altered the shooter’s trajectory — and crucially, ensured no foul would be called.
“We work on that in practice, closing out and jumping to the side so you don't foul,” Clayton said in the post-game press conference.
Sharp pump-faked, trying to avoid contact, but the ball slipped from his hands and bounced to the floor. If he touched it, it would be a surefire double dribble.
“Clayton made a great play on that, but that’s why you gotta shot-fake and get it into the paint,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said.
Just to their right, Richard jumped, trying to draw the officials’ attention. Sharp, knowing he couldn’t touch the ball, boxed Clayton out as the ball kept bouncing.
Two ticks on the clock.
Francis and Florida sophomore forward Alex Condon lunged toward the ball, each with different goals. For Francis, it was one last chance at glory. For Condon, it was a chance to seal the win, and UF’s third national title along with it. Both players hit the floor, giving everything they had to get the ball.
“Condo did what he does a lot, which is get physical, dive on the floor, [and] make a winning play,” UF head coach Todd Golden said.
Condon reached out his right arm, and the ball bounced under it. It skipped forward slightly before the 6-foot-11 Gator stretched with all his might and secured it. He passed it to Clayton, who stood above him.
Zero seconds left on the clock.
The buzzer sounded.
Florida secured the 2025 national championship title — it’s first in 18 years and third in program history.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his fourth semester at The Alligator, and he is the Spring 2025 lacrosse reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He is a big South Florida sports fan, and likes to go to concerts with his friends and family.
