Former Sunnyslope star Todd Golden is now a national champion after leading Florida to first title since 2007

SAN ANTONIO Florida and Walter Clayton Jr.

somehow overcame Houstons spirit-crushing defense Monday night to will out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller not decided until Claytons own D stopped the Cougars from taking a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Clayton finished with 11 points, all in the second half, but what hell be remembered for most was getting Houstons Emanuel Sharp to stop in the middle of his motion as he tried to go up for the game-winning 3 in the final seconds.

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Clayton ran at him, Sharp dropped the ball and, unable to pick it up lest he get called for traveling, watched it bounce there while the clock ticked to zero.

Will Richard had 18 points to keep the Gators (36-4) in it, and they won their third overall title and first since 2007, this time led by third-year coach Todd Golden.

The Cougars (35-5) and coach Kelvin Sampson were denied their first championship.

This was a defensive brawl, and for most of the night, Clayton got the worst of it.

He was 0 for 4 from the field without a point through the first half.

He didnt score until 14:57 remained in the game.

He finished with one 3-pointer and, before that, a pair of three-point plays that kept the Gators in striking range.

It was Floridas defense, not Houstons, that controlled the final minute.

After Alijah Martin made two free throws to put Florida ahead 64-63 its first lead since 8-6 the Gators lured Sharp into a triple-team in the corner, where Richard got him to dribble the ball off his leg and out of bounds.

Florida made one free throw on the next possession and that set up the finale.

The ball first went to L.J.

Cryer who led the Cougars with 19 points.

Blanketed by Richard, he threw to Sharp, who was moving to spot up for a 3 when Clayton ran at him.

That left him with no choice but to let the ball go.

Sampson, who designed a defense that held Florida under 70 points for only the second time this season, looked on in shock.

Instead of the 69-year-old becoming the oldest coach to win the title, the 39-year-old Golden becomes the youngest since N.C.

State's Jim Valvano in 1983 to win it all.

The Gators trailed by 12 points early in the second half, and Clayton wasnt the only one getting frustrated.

The Florida bench got a technical during a quick span of three foul calls in less than a minute.

Later in the second half, Houstons smothering defense baited Rueben Chinyelu into a technical after committing a foul.

But that wasn't enough.

Houston ends up at the same place as the Phi Slama Jama teams of the 1980s in second place, but memorable.

This gut-wrenching loss came two nights after the Cougars fashioned a wild comeback of their own, from 14 down against Duke.

All three Final Four games were decided down the stretch, none by more than six.

Any thought that the mens game had been overtaken by the increasingly popular women will probably go on hold at least for a year.

The three women's Final Four games, capped by UConn's blowout of South Carolina on Sunday, were decided by an average of 24.7 points.

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Arizona sports The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBAs Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury.

The Indoor Football Leagues Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.

Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tours highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.

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