-PJ
Posted on 04/07/2025 8:35:42 PM PDT by hardspunned
April 7 (Reuters) - Florida overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to beat Houston 65-63 in a nail-biting thriller, claiming their third national championship in NCAA men's basketball on Monday. Senior Will Richard led the scoring for the Gators with 18 points in Florida's first trip to the title game since they last won in 2007.
Houston appeared well on their way to their first-ever title as they held Florida sharpshooter Walter Clayton Jr. scoreless through the first half in a stunning defensive performance but could not hang on against an energized Gators offense.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I watched that game live on TV. I had just turned nine. Our entire family were North Carolina State fans. Watching Lorenzo Charles dunking that ball just as the clock was about to end and then Jim Valvano running to find someone, anyone to hug is one of my favorite childhood memories.
That was the moment when March Madness was truly born.
I remember when I was at UF, we hadn’t done squat in basketball up to that point. We were actually excited just to make the NIT.
Then came the amazing run in 1994, when we made our first Final Four, I never thought I would have ever seen that happen.
Next thing you know, here we are with three Natties.
I had no dog in that fight but that one and Laettner’s “the Shot” game are the most memorable for me.
He went to the same high school as my 40yo son, obviously not at the same time 🙄 it's a shame he's too short to make it in the NBA, or maybe not, he'll succeed in whatever he does.
When I was there we still played in Alligator Alley, the O’Connell center didn’t exist and the football team went 0-10-1 one year, if has to be a great time to be a student when a team wins a championship like tonight
On Twitter people are posting video of 13th and University being completely shut down with a sea of humanity
-PJ
Two nights later I had my Eagle Scout board of review. The day after that was my eighteenth birthday. A few days after that was my senior prom and a lot of people told my I had the most beautiful date of the evening.
It was one of the best weeks of my youth and it all started with Duke beating Kentucky.
I’m not a Kentucky fan but was in a room full of Big Blue maniacs. I kept my mouth shut. I’ve never seen such heartbreak.
Missed out on getting a potential Game for the Ages in Duke vs Florida, but this was a heck of a game and Houston is relentless on defense. Tough way for it to end, not sure why they didn’t drive to the basket only down two.
I guess Florida joined the Blue Bloods club. Congratulations!
Congratulations Gators! Very tight game.
GO GATORS!
We'll always be a football first school by a mile but 3 national titles in basketball is really nice. Sully needs to get the baseball team straightened out. Our pitching staff looks like crap this year. One national title in baseball is not nearly enough. We need to step that up.
When were you there? I graduated in 94 and remember Stormin' Norman.....Dwayne Schintzius, Livingston Chatman, etc and that whole SEC championship team in the late 80s. I remember watching the M&M boys and our first sweet 16 team in the mid 80s when I was still in high school.
On a side note, I had no idea we had that many Gators here. That's encouraging. The alumni were always far more to the Right than the student body although in the last few years it seems like the student body has shifted a lot more to the Right than it was a few years ago. Seeing all the Leftist insanity and Jew hate among the Left has turned off many.
Congratulations!
I imagine it to be true. My brother has sent me video from the last several games of that part of town. He would watch the games with his son, and then drive on University going through “midtown” to get back to the family homestead where he now lives. (It’s been in the family for close to a hundred years.)
There were throngs for each game, and I can only picture that it couldn’t be driven through last night. He got back home around midnight.
It’s exhilarating to have won the Natty.
Rolling on the floor was travelling.
Ball should have turned over.
But, I am old school.
We taped the game. I fully intend to watch the second half again tonight. I just gotta enjoy this feeling a bit longer.
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