UConn and Florida Reign Supreme
Hello everyone, it’s Brogan LaRose M’26 back with another article. We are going to switch things up here since not too much is going on with the NBA. Today, we’ll be looking at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s and Women’s National Championships on Sunday and Monday. These two games featured the women’s side: University of Connecticut versus University of South Carolina, and the men’s side: University of Florida versus University of Houston. The first game saw a decisive victory, while the second was back and forth throughout the majority of the game. Now, let’s get into it.
Women’s National Championship
This hyped-up matchup between UCONN and South Carolina was a must-watch for women’s college basketball fans. Having beaten UCONN 64-49 in the 2022 National Championship, along with beating Iowa last year for the 2024 crown, South Carolina was looking for their third national championship in four seasons. They entered this matchup 35-3 after defeating Texas in the National Semifinal 74-57. Their depth was emphasized throughout the season with very effective players in their starting lineups and bench. Joyce Edwards, Bree Hall, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Tessa Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao have been vital to South Carolina’s success over the past few seasons.
On the other side, there is the UCONN Huskies. The Huskies were looking to claim another national championship, with Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong leading the way. All three players have electrified women’s basketball by displaying a very talented skillset, with Buckers and Fudd being able to do anything on the floor and Strong being a force inside. Regardless, this was a highly anticipated matchup.
The first quarter saw UCONN get a 19-14 lead behind the back of Fudd and Strong. With Bueckers struggling a bit in the first half, Fudd and Strong carried the bulk of the scoring. Ultimately, Fudd was able to create her own shot and Strong scoring in the paint. At the half, UCONN was leading 36-26. Then, the second half saw UCONN dominate in their quest for a 12th National Championship. The dynamic trio was getting whatever they wanted in the second half, whether driving to the lane, knocking mid-range and three-point shots, or squandering any momentum South Carolina was looking for. KK Arnold also stepped up big-time for the Huskies, going perfectly from the field and bringing a very aggressive style of defense to South Carolina. In the end, UCONN came out on top with an 82-59 victory. Strong and Fudd scored 24 points each, and Bueckers scored 17 points for the Huskies.
For South Carolina, Edwards and Johnson had 10 points each to lead the Gamecocks in a losing effort. With Bueckers leaving to join the WNBA next year, Fudd and Strong will look to capitalize on back-to-back titles to bring back to Storrs. Time will tell how the Huskies and Gamecocks will be next year.
Florida vs Houston
Online Azithromycin OrderFor the men’s game, Florida and Houston faced off as Florida was looking for their first national championship since 2007, while Houston was looking for their first-ever national championship. Obviously, this highly anticipated matchup looked to highlight the ending of the 2024-2025 men’s basketball season. In the first half, Houston was able to contain the highly skilled Walter Clayton Jr. Clayton had been on fire in the NCAA tournament, averaging 25 points per game and making his presence known offensively. However, Clayton struggled in the first half and had zero points at halftime. Although he struggled, Will Richard stepped up big time for the Gators, knocking down multiple three-pointers in the first half to keep them in it. At halftime, Houston led by a score of 31-28. The second half came around, and Houston came out firing.
With the likes of L.J. Cryer, Mylik Wilson and Ja’Vier Francis, Houston led by as much as 12 points in the beginning stages of the second half. However, this was the national championship, and the Gators wouldn’t go anywhere. The Gators were able to weather the storm and claw back into it behind Clayton, Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon. Especially with multiple and-one possessions and a timely three-pointer by Clayton, the score read 60-60 with around three minutes remaining. A Cryer tip-in gave Houston the lead back while Richard knocked down some timely free throws to tie the game back up again.
Following multiple sequences, Alijah Martin knocked two free throws with 40 seconds remaining, giving the Gators a 64-63 lead. After this, Houston unfortunately did not execute in the last two possessions of the game. The first play featured Emanuel Sharp, the sharpshooter (no pun intended) for Houston. He dribbled in off his leg as he drove to the basket on Condon. Then, after Denzel Aberdeen went one of two from the charity stripe, Sharp was the subject on the last play of the game as when he was given the ball to shoot the potential game-winning three-pointer, he went up with the ball and did shoot it. Had Sharp picked up the ball, he would’ve been called for a travel. Instead, a loose ball ensued, and the buzzer sounded, giving Florida a 65-63 victory and the national championship. Richard led Florida with 18 points, while Houston was led by Cryer, contributing 19 points.
These two national championship games brought excitement to college basketball. Being a yearly spectacle, both the men’s and women’s tournaments highlighted some of the best players and teams in the country. They boosted revenue and engagement for the NCAA. Many other basketball fans and I are looking forward to the 2025-2026 NCAA season.
With the NCAA over, the NBA playoffs are approaching. Most likely, I will cover some of my predictions for the NBA in my next article. Make sure to be on the lookout for that article as well.