Walter Clayton Jr. stats today: How did Florida star perform in national championship game vs Houston (April 7)

Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr didn't let a scoreless first half bother him. He kept on shooting till he made one, and that was key for the Gators' come-from-behind win over Houston in the national championship final on Monday at the Alamodome.

The 6-foot-3 senior guard scored his 11 points in the second half to propel Florida to a comeback victory that handed them their third NCAA title and first since 2007.

Clayton shot 3 of 10 from the field, including 1 of 7 from the 3-point line, and made all four attempts from free throws. He also tallied five rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block in 35 minutes for the Todd Golden-coached team.

The Iona transfer didn't score in the first half, but his presence was still felt on the playmaking side. He effectively distributed the ball to his open teammates to keep Florida within striking distance.

Clayton missed all four attempts from the 3-point line, but his five assists handed Florida 11 points. This included a triple by Will Richard that reduced the deficit to three going into the halftime break.

The guard took 25 minutes to score his first two points, making both free throws off an L.J. Cryer foul with 14:57 remaining. He made his first field goal on a layup with 7:54 left and converted on a subsequent 3-point play that tied the count at 48 apiece.

Clayton made another and-one to keep the game knotted at 51. Several sequences later, the guard made a triple that tied the game anew at 60-60 with 3:14 left.

His teammates Will Richard, Alijah Martin and Denzel Aberdeen buried five free throws, and the Gators played excellent defense in the remaining minutes to limit Houston to three points and secure the win and notch their third national title.

Here are Walter Clayton Jr's final stats in Florida's win over Houston:

Player	MIN	PTS	REB	ORB-DRB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3 PT-FG	FT	PF	TO
Walter Clayton Jr	35	11	5	0-5	7	1	1	3-10	1-7	4-4	2	3

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Walter Clayton Jr named 2025 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player

Walter Clayton Jr was named the 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player for his heroics in the last three games to help the Gators win their third national title and first since 2007.

Clayton averaged 22.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 33.7 minutes to lead Florida (36-4) over Norfolk State, back-to-back defending champion UConn, Maryland, Texas Tech, Auburn and Houston en route to the NCAA Tournament crown.

The guard made 47.4% of his shots, including 43.5% from the 3-point line, and 91.3% from free throws. His 34 points against Auburn in the Final Four were his best of the season, upstaging the 30 points he scored against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

In the winner-take-all game against Houston, Clayton went scoreless in his first 25 minutes. However, hee scored 11 in the next 10 minutes to help Florida preserve a two-point win, which prevented the Cougars from winning their first national championship in history.

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What can you say about Walter Clayton Jr's performance against Houston? Let us know your insights in the comments section.