After two competitive Final Four games — one of which was an instant classic — the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship was a nail biter as the Florida Gators defeated the Houston Cougars 65-63.
During a time out after Florida evened the score, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson wrote one word on the white board for his team: “Toughness.” That’s been his team’s trademark and what brought them back when they were down 64-55 in the Final Four against tournament blue bloods Duke with only two minutes left to play. And they responded again tonight, taking back the lead with their trademark physicality and hustle.