NCAA: Florida traces and Houston is imposed to be crowned champion
The Florida Gators are the new collegial basketball champions after imposing in Extremis to the Houston Cours.
San Antonio, Texas-On the side of the Florida Gators, the previous one for the National Championship on Monday was almost completely focused on Walter Clayton Jr. The Base All-American was on a streak that was not seen since Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker took the Uconn Huskies to two titles in the early 2010s.
It became immediately evident that the Houston Cougars exploration report also did.
After scoring a total of 64 points in his two previous games, Clayton did not score his first point until the 14:57 of the second half against the Couchars. He did not condemn his first field shot until there were 7:54 minutes of play. It was the recipe for a comfortable victory for the Houston Championship, inevitably continuing the narrative about the first category defense of the Couchars.
But Florida’s support team kept the Gators in the game enough time for Clayton to start in the second half, tracing a 12-point disadvantage on the way to a 65-63 victory.
It was the third national Florida championship, the first since 2006, making Todd Golden, 39, the youngest coach to win the National Championship from Jim Valvano in 1983.
The areas that promoted Houston throughout the season in attack (triple and offensive rebounds) were not found in the first 20 minutes. The Coupars only brought 2 of 14 triples in the first half, and although they captured six offensive rebounds, they did not write down a single second chance.
Sampson had a great contribution of the substitutes Mylik Wilson and Ja’vier Francis. Both players combined six points in 22 minutes in the semifinal against Duke, but added 13 points in a total of 24 minutes in the first half against Florida.
However, Golden could have argued the same. Florida lost the ball nine times in the first 20 minutes and Clayton was bleached in the first half. It was just the third time in the entire season that ended the first half without scoring, the previous two against Tennessee. Houston was aggressive with the screens, forcing Clayton to lose the ball at the beginning. The Coupars did not allow him to find rhythm in the left wing, where he was so successful throughout the tournament. He achieved five assists in the first half.
Instead, it was Will Richard who, without anyone’s help, kept Florida in the game from the beginning. He scored four triples in the first half, reaching the break with 14 points, after picking 1 of 6 and scoring seven points in the victory over Auburn on Saturday. It ended with 18 points, the maximum of the team.
The great unknown when I arrived at the break was if either team could turn on the perimeter and start opening the game in attack.
However, after the break, the game became a whistle match, an endless parade of players heading to the free throw line. Florida committed five fouls at the first 3:39 of the second half, in addition to a technical foul on the bench. The following charges were against Houston, which resulted in 12 fouls combined in the first 6:15 after the break.
The game needed an impulse, and the two stars that took Houston and Florida to the game for the title got it. LJ Cryer only scored five points in the first half, but added 14 after the break, with three triples. It ended with 19 points, the largest amount of the game. Clayton scored his first points from the free throw line, but then he had two three -point moves that gave Florida the impulse he needed so much.
