Houston Cougars On SI

Houston falls to Florida: Live score, updates, highlights from 2025 NCAA title game

Follow along as the Cougars pursue their first-ever title in program history
Buck Ringgold|
Houston players J'Wan Roberts (13) and Mylik Wilson (8) react after the Cougars pull off a 70-67 win against Duke in the Final Four on April 5, 2025.
Houston players J'Wan Roberts (13) and Mylik Wilson (8) react after the Cougars pull off a 70-67 win against Duke in the Final Four on April 5, 2025. | Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images

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Houston CougarsFlorida Gators

Monday night, Houston attempts to win its first NCAA men’s basketball title.

The Cougars go for history as they take on Florida in the national championship game in San Antonio.

How to watch, stream Houston basketball vs. Florida for NCAA title: TV, prediction

Houston (35-4) is in its first championship game since making it back-to-back in 1983 and again in 1984. The Cougars come in on an 18-game winning streak and have now won 31 of their last 32 ballgames after rallying from 14 points down with nearly eight minutes left to defeat Duke, 70-67, in Saturday’s Final Four game.

Just another routine comeback: Houston finds a way once again when it counts

Florida (35-4) has won 11 straight ballgames and 17 of its last 18. The Gators made it to Monday night after a 79-73 win against Auburn behind a 34-point performance from senior guard Walter Clayton Jr.

Who are the officials in Monday night's Houston-Florida title game?

If Florida wins, it will be the first Gators’ championship since they won two straight from 2006-07.

But will this finally be the night for Houston, after decades of tournament heartbreak, to cut down the nets? And will this be the pinnacle for coach Kelvin Sampson, who can get his 800th career win on Monday?

NCAA national championship prediction: Houston an overwhelming favorite by experts

We’re about to find out.

Follow Houston Cougars On SI writer Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from the Alamodome in San Antonio. Refresh for the latest score and live updates.

HOUSTON 63, FLORIDA 65 FINAL

(Refresh for the latest updates)

POSTGAME STATS AND ANALYSIS

- In his last game as a Houston Cougar, LJ Cryer finished with 19 points and made four 3's.

- Florida forced a travel as Emanuel Sharp was attempting to release a potential game-winning 3 with time running out.

SECOND HALF

- Houston couldn't even get off a shot with time running out.

- Utterly stunning ending.

- Florida wins it. Stunned.

- Aberdeen makes 1-of-2 free throws. Florida up by two but Houston has the ball. Kelvin Sampson calls his final time out. (Florida, 65-63 | :19, 2nd)

- Florida nearly turned the ball over but recovers. Milos Uzan picks up a foul. (Florida, 64-63 | :19, 2nd)

- Shot clock is turned off. Florida has possession up by one.

- Houston turns it over, as a ball smacks off Emanuel Sharp's knee. (Florida, 64-63 | :26, 2nd)

- JoJo Tugler whistled for his fifth foul. Florida goes to the line and makes both; Gators by one. (Florida, 64-63 | :46, 2nd)

- One minute to play and Houston is hanging on.

- Houston comes up empty on a possession. Florida ball. (Houston, 63-62 | 1:21, 2nd)

- Florida ties it again, but JoJo Tugler gets fouled and hits 1-of-2 in the double bonus. Coogs back in front. (Houston, 63-62 | 2:05, 2nd)

- Florida hits a 3 to tie it but LJ Cryer tips back his own missed shot on the next possession. (Houston, 62-60 | 2:30, 2nd)

- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. J'Wan Roberts misses a shot underneath, but Ja'Vier Francis is THERE for the putback jam. (Houston, 60-57 | 4:15, 2nd)

- LJ Cryer picks up his third foul. (Houston, 58-57 | 4:46, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. A huge 3 from Emanuel Sharp after Florida has tied the score three times in the past few minutes. (Houston, 56-53 | 5:50, 2nd)

- Technical foul on Florida's Rueben Chinyelu, who picked up a foul and then threw the ball down on the court in frustration. LJ Cryer knocks down the technical free throws. J'Wan Roberts then makes 1-of-2 at the line on the shooting foul. (Houston, 51-48 | 7:13, 2nd)

- And we are tied as Walter Clayton Jr. completes the three-point play. (48-48 | 7:54, 2nd)

- Walter Clayton Jr. finally makes a field goal, and draws a foul in the process. He will go to the line with a chance to tie the game coming out of the media time out. (Houston, 48-47 | 7:54, 2nd)

- And now four fouls on Ja'Vier Francis. (Houston, 48-45 | 8:31, 2nd)

- JoJo Tugler picks up his fourth foul. (Houston, 48-44 | 9:07, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Cougars snap Florida's 9-0 run as LJ Cryer hits a 3 in transition after the Gators miss a potential game-tying 3. (Houston, 48-42 | 11:27, 2nd)

- Florida coming back to life. Gators reel off seven straight points, and Kelvin Sampson will take a time out. (Houston, 45-41 | 12:06, 2nd)

- JoJo Tugler and Ja'Vier Francis each with three fouls for Houston. Something to watch going forward. (Houston, 45-36 | 13:23, 2nd)

- Houston already in the bonus nearly six minutes into the second half. (Houston, 45-34 | 14:07, 2nd)

- Walter Clayton Jr., still held scoreless but draws a foul and will go to the line coming out of the second media time out. (Houston, 42-32 | 14:57, 2nd)

- Houston now on an 8-0 run, as J'Wan Roberts gets a jumper in the paint to bounce in home. (Houston, 42-30 | 15:48, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ Cryer a trey from the corner on the possession after Florida's technical. The Houston lead is now up to double digits. (Houston, 40-30 | 17:17, 2nd)

- Florida's bench was just hit with a technical arguing about the disparity of second-half fouls. LJ Cryer sinks 1-of-2 free throws. (Houston, 37-30 | 17:21, 2nd)

- Two offensive fouls already for Florida in the second half. (Houston, 36-30 | 17:30, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ Cryer with the step-back trey to start the second half. (Houston, 34-28 | 19:15, 2nd)

- Second half is now under way.

- Second-half action about to get under way. Twenty more minutes to a title - unless there's overtime, of course.

HALFTIME STATS AND ANALYSIS

- Florida also got seven second-chance points while Houston doesn't have any second-chance points.

- Houston made 12-of-23 shots from inside the 3-point range but 2-of-14 from outside the arc. Florida made 11-of-29 field goals and 4-of-14 from long-range. Gators also had 22 rebounds to Houston's 19, but committed nine turnovers to just two for the Cougars.

- Houston's top first-half scorer was Mylik Wilson, who came off the bench and scored 7 points. Ja'Vier Francis also has 6 points off the bench.

FIRST HALF

- Will Richard misses a 3 at the buzzer. Houston takes a three-point lead at the half and the Coogs have held Walter Clayton Jr. to 0 points. (Houston, 31-28 | :00, 1st)

- Will Richard single-handedly keeping Florida in it. He has 14 points and four 3's, the latest cutting the Houston lead to three in the final seconds of the half. (Houston, 31-28 | :34, 1st)

- Zero points so far for Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr., a game after pouring in 34 against Auburn. Gators also have as many turnovers as field goals (9). (Houston, 29-23 | 3:41, 1st)

- Thirteen points off the bench from Houston's Mylik Wilson and Ja'Vier Francis, both playing in their final game.

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. And then Mylik Wilson knocks one down from the corner. An 8-0 run for the Coogs. (Houston, 29-21 | 4:46, 1st)

- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. Transition for the Cougars, and Emanuel Sharp throws an alley-oop to Mylik Wilson FOR THE FINISH. (Houston, 26-21 | 5:10, 1st)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ Cryer finally dials long distance for the Coogs. (Houston, 24-21 | 5:40, 1st)

- Houston is 10-of-18 from 2-point range but 0-of-7 from long distance. (Houston, 20-16 | 7:42, 1st)

- Great night so far off the bench for Ja'Vier Francis. Six points on 3-of-4 shooting. (Houston, 20-16 | 8:05, 1st)

- Quick hands by Mylik Wilson nets him a steal and he is able to go in for the finish. Six turnovers for the Gators. (Houston, 16-10 | 10:00, 1st)

- JoJo Tugler picks up his second foul as we go into the second media time out. (Houston, 14-10 | 10:18, 1st)

- Houston is 0-of-7 from 3-point range but Florida hasn't scored a point in nearly four minutes. Pace is exactly right in the Cougars' hands. (Houston, 14-10 | 10:30, 1st)

- JoJo Tugler is back in for Houston, and Terrance Arceneaux is in as well.

- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. Nice entry pass from LJ Cryer in the lane to Ja'Vier Francis for the emphatic finish. (Houston, 10-8 | 14:30, 1st)

- Florida took the lead before Emanuel Sharp drains a jumper. Gators then turn the ball over, setting up the first media time out. (8-8 | 15:05, 1st)

- JoJo Tugler is down on the court after colliding with a Florida player. Ja'Vier Francis comes in for Tugler.

- Florida misses a dunk; Gators get it back, but J'Wan Roberts swats away the layup attempt. Seconds later, JoJo Tugler puts the Coogs back in front. (Houston, 6-4 | 16:30, 1st)

- JoJo Tugler scores the opening points on a shot in the lane. (Houston, 2-0 | 19:00, 1st)

- Both teams coming up empty on its opening possessions.

- Here we go. Florida starting out in "MANTOMAN," in the words of Bill Raftery.

- About to tip things off here in San Antonio.

PREGAME

- Florida's starting 5: Guard Walter Clayton Jr.; Guard Will Richard; Guard Alijah Martin; Forward Alex Condon; Center Rueben Chinyelu.

- The usual starting 5 for Houston tonight. Guards Milos Uzan, LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp. Forwards JoJo Tugler and J'Wan Roberts, going for his record 150th win tonight in a Cougar uniform.

- Already a large contingent of Houston fans in the Alamodome and a few "Whose House? Coogs' House" chants have broken out.

- Here at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Is this the night that the Houston basketball team can finally cut down the nets and claim a national title for the first time? The Cougars are getting set to face Florida.

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Buck Ringgold
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