A Florida basketball team that rolled through the back half of the SEC and dominated the SEC Tournament didn't have that same level of dominance in the NCAA Tournament. But it had heart.

Florida came from behind in the second half for the fourth time in the tournament to knock off Houston 65-63 in the national title game, winning its first championship since 2007.

Houston had a chance to tie or win it on the final possession, but Emanuel Sharp second-guessed his shot and put the ball down. The clock ran out as Alex Condon sprawled across the floor for the loose ball, giving the Gators the title at the end of a classic championship game.

The first half was a physical battle, one resembling so many of the Houston battles that have taken place all season. The Cougars shut down Walter Clayton Jr., holding him scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, but some sloppy shooting from the Houston guards allowed the Gators to stay in it and trail just 31-28 at the break.

Houston then jumped out to a 45-34 lead to start the second half thanks to some hot shooting from LJ Cryer and some more great defense, but the Gators responded like they have so many times in this tournament.

A furious Florida rally, spearheaded by some heightened defensive intensity and a pair of and-one finishes from Thomas Haugh and Clayton, quickly closed the gap and tied the game at 48.

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The two squads went back and forth from there, trading punches until Alijah Martin drilled a pair of free throws to put Florida ahead 64-63 with under a minute to go. From there, it took the Gators two stops — a strip by Will Richard and then the final play, where the clock expired on the Cougars' title hopes.

Florida made a living coming from behind in this tournament. UConn had the Gators on the ropes in the Round of 32 before Walter Clayton Jr.'s heroics bailed them out. The Gators then staged an epic comeback in the Elite Eight against Texas Tech and came back from down by eight in the Final Four against Auburn. Then, down by 12 in the title game, Todd Golden and company made another run to cut down the nets.

Clayton came alive in the final minutes after a very quiet night, finishing with 11 points and seven assists while winning Most Outstanding Player honors. Richard kept the Gators alive in the first half and finished with a team-high 18.

On the other side, LJ Cryer led all scorers with 19 points, but he shot just 6-for-18 from the floor.

Ironically, Florida struggled with turnovers all night, but it was the Houston turnovers that haunted it in the end. The Gators forced three turnovers in a row to end the game and secure the title.

In the end, the best team from the best conference cut down the nets. It wasn't as easy in the Big Dance, but this Florida basketball team came up big in the clutch time and time again. Now, it is etched in history forever.