The Houston Cougars held the Florida Gators in check for much of the 2025 NCAA national championship game, but ended up losing 65-63 in heartbreaking fashion.
The Cougars were up by as much as a 12-point lead in the second half of the game, and the Gators only led for one minute and three seconds of the entire game, but it was enough for them to sneak out with the win.
Florida came back from the double-digit deficit and took a 64-63 lead on two free throws from Alijah Martin with 46 seconds remaining in the game. Denzel Aberdeen added another free throw with less than 20 seconds left for a 65-63 lead, but still with enough time for Houston to get in a shot to tie up or re-take the lead.
Instead, the Cougars mishandled the final possession in devastating fashion to lose the game. Houston guard L.J. Cryer passed the ball to Emanuel Sharp, who appeared to decide against taking a three-point attempt and dropped the ball. He couldn't touch the ball again, and could only watch as Florida and his teammate dove for the ball, with the Gators reclaiming the basketball as the game ended.
Despite a remarkable run this season, Houston ends the season without even getting a shot at making a game-tying or winning basket in the final seconds. They blew the possession, and Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson could only watch on from the sideline in defeat.
That stare by Kelvin Sampson at the end. So brutal. pic.twitter.com/Zs2UZJ6ytF
— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) April 8, 2025
Had Houston gotten a winning shot or held onto their prior lead, they had the opportunity to claim both the Cougars' and Sampson's first ever national championship title. Instead, they lost the game without even attempting a final shot.
It's a heartbreaking end to a promising season, and a finale that will likely hurt for both Houston and Sampson for a long time.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kelvin Sampson Looked So Defeated in Final Moments of Houston's Loss to Florida.
