By Ken Cross
SAN ANTONIO – The Houston Cougars’ defensive efficiency has been a major story all season as they allowed opponents to shoot only 38.2 percent while scoring just 58.8 ppg. and both numbers have been the best in college basketball.
The team’s focused mindsets and physical toughness allowed them to outrebound the opponent by 5.2 boards per game and force 13.2 turnovers (289/CBB).
The Cougars once again had efficient numbers in Monday night’s 65-63 loss to the Florida Gators in the NCAA National Final where the Cougars played well enough to win.
Houston held the lead for 31 minutes although the Coogs made only 35 percent of their shots and were just 6-of-24 from the three-point line. Houston normally made the three at a 39.7 percent clip this season, but the Gators were in the Top 10 in defensive efficiency and finished at No. 6, according to kenpom.com.
Florida’s defense took over the game in forcing five turnovers in the last 2:05 while the Gators elminated the Cougars’ offensive efficiency to find the close win.
Throughout the 24-25 season, guards LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, and small forward Terrance Arceneaux were consistent in knowing how to get to the rim or join Milos Uzan and Mylik Wilson to set up J’Wan Roberts, Ja’Vier Francis, and JoJo Tugler on the inside.
While the Florida defense had one last bastion in creating the win, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson discussed the turnovers on the last two possessions as “incomprehensible” with the Cougars usually a prone fixture on the offensive side of the ball as well.
“We’re down two, and obviously we didn’t need a three, but with Emanuel, we were struggling to score the entire second half,” said coach Kelvin Sampson. “We got good looks, but Florida was doing a good job running us off the line and forcing us to score it. We just didn’t do a very good job of finishing some shots.”
While Florida guard Walter Clayton, Jr.’s defensive close out will be written in the history of the game, Sampson thought Sharp’s best chance was to get to the basket and create because a score inside would have tied the game at 65 and forced overtime.
“We have a set where it’s a staggered gait,” said Sampson. “We thought if we could get Emanuel to shot fake and get downhill … I have to look back at the film. I don’t know if the ball slipped out of his hands.”
Florida matched up on Cryer and Uzan after their passes brought the ball back to Sharp. Defensively, the Gators covered Roberts and Tugler inside, so creating was Sharp’s only option.
“That’s why you got to shot fake and get in the paint,” explained Sampson. “Two is fine. J’Wan has been awesome all year. Tonight was not his night. Florida was really physical with the way they were chucking and bumping when he was going in. He had a lot of balls that just fell right off the rim, seems like.”
Houston hit a 10-2 first half run to up their lead to 16-10 when five Cougars scored in the paint or in the mid-range game in a span of 4:40. Houston held Florida to 1-of-5 from the floor with four turnovers during that stretch.
The Cougars led the Gators until the last minute of the game after Tugler made a free throw for a 63-62 Houston lead with 2:05 remaining. From there came the five turnovers although two of the five were blocked shots.
Gators guards Alijah Martin and Denzel Aberdeen converted three free throws to allow the national championship.
It marked the first time Houston had lost this season when holding opponents to under 70 points as they totaled a 33-1 mark in those games.
“We thought this was a game that if we played well, we could win, and we did play well,” said Sampson. “We just didn’t play very good the last three minutes. That’s been a strength of ours all year long, was winning close games. But tonight we didn’t.”
Sampson is an iconastic coach and should easily be a Hall of Famer. He breeds major toughness into his teams as his players love and respect him and how he teaches the game.
“I feel like the coaches had a lot of trust in me to lead this team,” Roberts said as he played a team record 173 games for the Cougars. “These past six years have been the best years of my life. Like I said, the worst part about it is I can’t do it again.”