Alijah Martin stats today: How did the Florida star perform in national championship game vs Houston (April 7)

Florida Gators guard Alijah Martin was integral on the defensive end in his squad's national championship berth on Monday. His timely defense propelled the Gators to a tight two-point victory, 65-53, over the Houston Cougars to take home the program's third national title ever in the NCAA national championship game of this year's national tournament.

In 34 minutes of action, Martin dropped seven points and a rebound, but was fantastic in stopping the opposition from scoring while stripping the ball off of their hands to force turnovers.

Martin started the game immediately trying to set the tone on defense with his infectous energy and tenacity to rattle his opponents. While he missed his first couple of field goal attempts, it was the senior's rebounding and effort that showed why he was important for the Todd Golden-coached team. Martin subbed back in the intense fixture at the halfway point through which his squad trailed, 14-10.

In the 7:29 mark of the first period, Martin finally got his first score with a layup to trim the Gators' deficit down to two points, 20-18. While he didn't tally much on the statsheet for the rest of the half, the 6'2 standout's defense was on full display as he banked on it to contribute for his squad. But, it wasn't enough, as the Cougars still led by three points, 31-28, to close out the first half.

However, Houston went on a run to give themselves a 12-point edge early in the start of the second half, 42-30. Martin knew that his defense alone won't be sufficient to help out his team, which is why he went for a stepback three-pointer at the 12:38 mark. At this point, Florida started to rally, cutting the deficit in half, 48-42, with 10 minutes to go in the winner-take-all affair.

It wasn't an easy scoring night for Martin, but his tenacious defense allowed for his teammates to come alive on the other end and produce points for the Gators. Quickly, the fixture became a back-and-forth sequence with both programs exchanging the lead. Eventually though, the Gators, backed by Martin's clutch free throws, pulled through and won the 2025 national title, 65-63.

Here are Alijah Martin's stats for the win on Monday.

Player	MP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3-PT	FT	TO	PF
Alijah Martin	34	7	1	0	0	0	2-10	1-6	2-2	1	0

Alijah Martin helps coach Todd Golden become the youngest coach in 42 years to win the national title

Not only did Alijah Martin win his first national championship and was a huge factor in his team's first national title since 2007, but his coach, Todd Golden, became the youngest college basketball coach since 1983 to win the national title at just 39 years old. A then-37 year-old Jim Valvano won the championship 42 years back.

Martin and the rest of the Florida Gators finish with a dominant 35-4 overall record, 14-4 during conference play, having also won the 2025 SEC tournament championship.