Highlights and Points Houston Cougars vs Florida Gators (63-65) in NCAA

YOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: THE FLORIDA GATORS 🏆🐊#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/XatLv5x2hm — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

THE FLORIDA GATORS ARE BACK ON TOP OF THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL WORLD 🌎🐊#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/FPz1Qgqr4B — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

The Florida Gators are crowned NCAA Championship Finals champions. In an epic game with a crazy finish, they defeated the Houston Cougars 65-63.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Florida Gators are up and leading 64-63. Will there be a miracle? Will they achieve epic success? It will be a thrilling and exciting finish, worthy of an NCAA Championship final.

There's just over a minute left. Houston continues to walk on fire, and its lead looks increasingly at risk. Florida will have very little time to pull off an epic victory and take the lead for the title.

Time is running out for the Florida Gators; they've come very close to taking the lead. They've only managed it once in the entire final. They've come close, but the constant lapses in concentration in the defensive zone have taken their toll.

The game has been close and evenly matched, but Houston has always managed to recover and regain the lead. We're at 56-55! Florida must be more consistent and riskier.

BIG answer from Cryer to end the Gators' 8-0 run 👀#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/76cgfTP8dS — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

5 minutes left in the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's very exciting what we see on the court. Houston was 2 points away from losing the lead, but they converted a triple that allowed them to go up again with 5

Will we have a comeback? Florida started scoring and got within 4 points. This prompted the Houston Cougars coach to immediately request a technical timeout from the officials to give instructions.

Houston was on the ropes in the Final Four against the Duke Blue Devils, but in this game they looked much better and corrected all the defensive mistakes we saw earlier.

We're approaching the midway point of the second quarter. It's worth reminding our viewers that the game only has two quarters. We've already seen the first, and Houston is still comfortably ahead, having had no trouble at all so far.

Milos Uzan is the best player so far in this final. The Houston Cougars have relied on the talent and magic of their center. He's one of the few standout players on the court.

J'Wan Roberts converts down low 😮‍💨#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/BBsxZuxiKu — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

Florida hasn't deserved to equalize the game; in truth, just like in the previous match, they'll have to come from behind to come back and seek a tie in the final minutes.

Houston has a 12-point lead. It's its largest so far in the game. Florida called a technical timeout, slowly trying to regain control and score. The game is moving along pretty quickly.

It's been an exciting 3 minutes! And crazy. The Houston Cougars have continued their strong play, based on pace and intensity. The Florida Gators are still down, this time by 10 points. 40-30

Houston Cougars vs. Florida Gators, halftime. We'll have 15 minutes in the locker room to rethink our strategies. The Cougars are up 31-28.

WILSON FOLLOWS IT UP WITH A TRIPLE 🍿#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/S8tiRpGs8R

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

The Florida Gators coach is failing to convey the message that his players need to change their performance today. They aren't following his instructions and are trying to improve, but unfortunately, they remain mere intentions.

The Cougars have only trailed once, and that lead lasted less than 30 seconds. They played a good game and are closing out a solid run.

The game has had several technical pauses, and so far we have no reviews from the officials. The coaches have failed to read the timing to stop the game.

Both teams are settling in and starting to trade buckets in the first half 😮‍💨#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/t4ZbZg4uee — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

The Houston Cougars have tried to stretch their lead, and do so reliably. They led by as many as 8 points, but now we're 20-16. There are five minutes left until halftime in San Antonio, Texas.

There are some players who are physically suffering from the rigors of the season. They look very tired and slow. The coach must be smart and know when to make changes and rotate the roster.

WE DON'T HAVE THREE-POINTS. What a shame! Florida and Houston haven't taken advantage of this resource, and we haven't seen any fantasy plays in the finals. The Cougars are up 14-10.

We've reached the halfway point of the first quarterfinal of the NCAA National Championship. Houston Cougars vs. Florida Gators, tied at 10-10. There's been little excitement and a very calm game so far. Neither team is taking any major risks.

We had the first technical timeout of the game. The Houston Cougars coach is very upset with his players' on-field decisions; they've lost control of the ball and also their control of the game.

HOUSTON STANDS TALL DEFENSIVELY 😤#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/ZZgL5rs15b — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025

It's the first time Florida has taken the lead in the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're 8-6 and the home team has already gained enough confidence to equalize not only the score, but also the physical part.

Houston continues to dominate the action on the court. They're up 6-4, while Florida tries to pick up the pace to quickly tie the score. There are a good number of points in less than three minutes.

Houston and Florida tied at 4-4. The game is starting to get much more exciting and has the pace we've all hoped for. So far, both teams are man-marking and not defending as a unit.

Houston opens the scoring and is already leading 2-0. Both teams are looking to impose themselves from the start, but a fairly even and close duel is expected. Whoever takes the biggest risk will be the champion today.

THE GAME STARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL IS NOW UNDERWAY

HOUSTON COUGARS VS FLORIDA GATORS AT THE ALAMODOME IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THERE'S NOT ONE MORE GUEST, THE HOUSE IS PACKED!!!!!!!!!!

Florida Gators triumphed 79-73 against Auburn Tigers in their semifinal at Alamodome. On the points front, Walter Clayton Jr. had 34, Alijah Martin 17 and Thomas Haugh 12.

Houston Cougars beat Duke Blue Devils 70-67 in the semifinals. L.J. Cryer scored 26 points, Emanuel Sharp had 16, while J'Wan Roberts recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds.

championship time 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DcTB2iHCwq — Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) April 8, 2025

Despite making it to the NCAA championship in 1983 and 1984, Houston has never won it all. The Cougars lost to NC State, 54-52, in 1983, and then to Georgetown, 84-75, the following year. The Cougars made six March Madness appearances between 1987 and 2019 but never advanced past the Sweet 16.

That changed in 2021, when the team marched all the way to the Final Four. Houston has made the NCAA tournament every year since then. Despite being a No. 1 seed in both 2023 and 2024, the Cougars fell in the Sweet 16 in both years. They got over that hump in 2025 and are on the verge of their first NCAA championship.

The Houston big man has 12 rebounds in two of his last three NCAA Tournament games, and he is averaging 6.5 boards per game for the season.

Roberts could have a big role against a Florida team that likes to play two bigs and allowed nine offensive rebounds to Auburn in the Final Four. Roberts thrived against the size of Duke in the Final Four, picking up 12 boards (four on the offensive glass) for the Cougars. 

The Florida star has scored 23 or more points in four of his five NCAA Tournament games this season, including a 34-point showing against Auburn in the Final Four. Clayton hasn’t needed to take a ton of shots (he’s attempted more than just 14 shots once), and he’s been insanely efficient in the tournament, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 48.7 percent from 3.

Even against a tough Houston defense, it’s hard not to trust Clayton at this number. His points prop was up at 22.5 in the Auburn matchup. 

"I probably took for granted what that environment would be like,'' Golden said. "We walked in there, and it was 80% Tennessee fans. I was like, 'Man, we got a road game to try to win the SEC title.' It's just part of what you have to get through to win a national championship."

"I think we'll have some issues out there. If we don't address them properly, we'll be in trouble. We're an elite offensive team. We'll lean into that and allow our players to go out and make plays and see what happens. While the contrast in styles is worth observing on the court, the crowd inside the Alamodome is another major theme that has come up consistently over the past 36 hours. The University of Houston campus is less than 200 miles from the Alamodome, and the Cougars are expected to have a significant advantage in the crowd."

We are back! We are ready to bring you all the action from the  Houston Cougars vs Florida Gators match on Playoffs- Final in NCAA. We invite you to follow along with us the actions of this match.

We will soon share with you the starting lineups for the Houston Cougars vs Florida Gators live match, as well as the latest information from Alamodome. Don't miss a single detail of the live match updates and commentary from VAVEL's coverage.

If you want to watch Houston Cougars vs Florida Gators live on TV, your option is FOX Sports.

If you want to watch it directly by streaming: https://www.foxsports.com in North America.

If you want to watch it online, VAVEL is your best option.

This is the kickoff time for the Houston Cougars vs. Florida Gators game - April 7 in various countries:

• Argentina: 9:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Bolivia: 8:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Brazil: 9:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Chile: 9:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Colombia: 7:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Ecuador: 7:50 PM on Fox Sports
• USA (ET): 8:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Spain: 2:50 AM on Fox Sports (April 6)
• Mexico: 6:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Paraguay: 9:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Peru: 7:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Uruguay: 9:50 PM on Fox Sports
• Venezuela: 8:50 PM on Fox Sports

IT'S #NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP GAME DAY 🤩#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/C1sy8mU19U — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2025

The Cougars are 3-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in 5 NCAA Tournament games, and 5-1-1 ATS in the past 7 outings. The Under is 5-1-1 in the 7-game span, too.

Houston faced 3 SEC teams this season, losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn in neutral floor games in the regular season, before defeating the Tennessee Volunteers 69-50 in the Elite 8, punching their ticket to San Antonio.

In the win over Duke, G L.J. Cryer led the way with 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 6 of 9 from behind the 3-point line. The Cougars were a very impressive 45.5% (10 of 22) from downtown as a team, and UH turned it over just 9 times. Houston was plus-11 on rebounds, too.

Alijah Martin FLA #15 - G

• Martin contributed 17 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds and one steal over 35 minutes during Saturday's 79-73 win over Auburn.

Walter Clayton FLA #1 - G

• Clayton finished Saturday's 79-73 win over Auburn with 34 points (11-18 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 7-7 FT), four rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes.

Emanuel Sharp HOU #21 - G

• Sharp notched 16 points (4-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds and one steal in 34 minutes during Saturday's 70-67 win over Duke.

J'Wan Roberts HOU #13 - F

• Roberts closed Saturday's 70-67 victory over Duke with 11 points (4-11 FG, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals over 35 minutes.

In the Final Four semifinal, Houston edged out Duke 70-67 despite a brilliant 27-point performance from Cooper Flagg. It wasn’t enough to break through the Cougars’ tough defense.

To reach the final against Houston, the Gators defeated Auburn 79-73 in the semifinals, thanks to a spectacular performance from Walter Clayton, who finished with 34 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

The Gators enter Monday's matchup on an 11-game winning streak. Florida has been on fire offensively throughout the 2025 NCAA Tournament, averaging 84.4 points per game over five contests. The Gators used a strong second-half to come from behind and beat Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed, on Saturday. 

The Cougars will be confident after erasing a 14-point deficit in the final eight minutes to knock off Duke in the Final Four. Houston has been ferocious on the defensive end of the floor all season. Kelvin Sampson's squad has held opponents to just 58.3 points per game, the best mark in college basketball. Houston features a veteran-laden team, a big reason why the Cougars have won 18 consecutive games. 

Hello to all VAVEL readers! Welcome to the broadcast of the match Houston Cougars vs Florida Gators on Playoffs- Final in NCAA. The match will take place at Alamodome located in San Antonio, Texas, at 8:50 PM (ET).

My name is Juan Sebastian Rodriguez and I will be your host for this match. We will bring you pre-match analysis, score updates and live news here on VAVEL.