Houston vs. Florida box score, stats, game summary and more ft. Will Richard

Houston and Florida battled through a competitive national title game, but one that will likely be remembered for a poor shooting performance by both teams. But Florida took advantage in the final minute after trailing for most of the game. The Gators won 65-63, to claim the third NCAA title in school history.

Houston vs. Florida Box Score

Houston

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF
J. Tugler	5	4	0	2	0	1	5
J. Roberts	8	8	0	0	3	0	2
M. Uzan	6	5	1	0	0	1	3
E. Sharp	8	3	1	0	0	2	0
LJ Cryer	19	6	2	1	0	3	3
J. Francis	8	6	0	0	2	0	4
T. Arceneaux	0	1	0	1	0	1	1
M. Wilson	9	2	1	1	1	0	1

Florida

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF
A. Condon	12	7	0	4	0	4	3
R. Chinyelu	3	5	0	0	1	0	2
W. Richard	18	8	2	2	1	2	2
W. Clayton Jr.	11	5	7	1	1	3	2
A. Martin	7	1	0	0	0	1	0
T. Haugh	5	5	3	0	1	1	1
M. Handlogten	2	4	2	0	1	0	0
D. Aberdeen	7	2	0	0	0	1	0

Houston vs. Florida Game Summary

After a close start, Houston made several moves to pull away. From a 10-10 tie, Houston scored the next six points. Florida rallied to tie the game at 21 each. Houston then answered with the next eight points, taking a 29-21 advantage on a Mylik Wilson 3-pointer. But Florida rallied for a 7-2 run to pull within 31-28 at halftime.

But after halftime, Houston made its best effort yet to pull away, going on an 11-2 run to lead 42-30 on a J'Wan Roberts jumper with 16:24 to play. That rally included a technical foul on the Florida bench.

The Gators did not lose their cool, rallying to tie the game at 48 on a 3-point play by Walter Clayton Jr. with 7:54 remaining. Florida and Houston traded points, with the Gators taking a 64-63 lead on a pair of Alijah Martin free throws with 46 seconds remaining, their first edge since 8-6.

Florida was led by Will Richard, who tallied 18 points, including 4-for-7 3-point shooting. Richard added eight assists and seven rebounds. Alex Condon added 12 points for the Gators, as well as seven rebounds and four steals. Walter Clayton Jr. added 11 points and seven assists.

Houston was paced by LJ Cryer, who had 19 points and six rebounds. No other Houston player reached double figures in scoring.

Houston shot just 35% for the game, including 6-for-25 (24%) from 3-point territory. Florida shot 40% and 6-for-24 (25%) from 3-point range. Florida managed to outrebound Houston 40-39 and shot 17-for-21 from the foul line.

This is Florida's third-ever NCAA Tournament title. The Gators previously won under Billy Donovan in 2006 and 2007. Florida coach Todd Golden, at age 39, is the youngest coach to win the NCAA title since Jim Valvano in 1983.