SAN ANTONIO ― Florida basketball will need to go through a rugged defensive team to claim its third national title in school history.
The Florida Gators (35-4) will face Houston (35-4) in the national title game. The Cougars advanced on a stunning late comeback, going on a 9-0 run to take out the Duke Blue Devils and National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg. Guard LJ Cryer scored 26 points to lead Houston to the win.
Florida advanced with a 79-73 win over Auburn earlier Saturday, reaching the national title game for the first time since 2007. Senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. led UF with a career-high 34 points in the win.
Florida is 0-2 all-time against Houston, but the two schools haven't played since Dec. 8, 1973, a game the Cougars won 97-73.
Under veteran coach Kelvin Sampson, Houston ranks first in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 58.3 points per game. By contrast, Florida ranks third in the nation in scoring offense at 85.4 points per game
Where to watch Florida basketball vs Houston
Florida basketball and Houston in the NCAA final will air Monday on CBS and stream on Paramount Plus.
CBS' top announcing crew of Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill will be on the call, with Tracy Wolfson providing sideline reports.
Florida basketball vs. Houston can also be streamed on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
Sean Kelley and former Gator Lee Humphrey will also have the radio call on the Gators Sports Network.
Watch Florida basketball vs Houston in the NCAA Final on Fubo
Florida basketball vs Houston game time
The game time for Florida basketball vs Houston game has been announced for 8:50 p.m. ET
Florida basketball vs Houston betting line
Per DraftKings, Florida is a 1-point favorite over Duke. The over/under is 141.5 points.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun's Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: March Madness: Who does Florida basketball play for national title?
