In the Sports page with The Orlando Sentinel at FM ninety six nine.
In the games, Mike the Bulldog beyond you on Jr.
National Championship is in the Palace Florida legic by two.
Six circuits, five seconds short.
He won.
You can't touch it.
They chip.
The talks festival.
It's a great data beat. Here. Where's the national title?
Houston did not get a shot off.
Florida sixty five, Houston sixty three. All right, bulldog And that was all she wrote last night. You were there to witness it yourself. We're guessing you're probably running on pure adrenaline this morning.
Huh man. What a game, what a season, What a run for the Gators. They are the champions once again. Wow, what do you say about this? I've covered a lot of teams in my past, a lot of Gator teams, a lot of national champions. But this that team last night, that team this season. I mean, they came back from twelve down against the number one defense in the country. Houston was thirty three to zero this season when they
held opponents under seventy points. They lured Florida into their game, and the Gators came out and they outslogged the barbie ballers in Houston last night. It was incredible. Down by twelve against Houston, they come back down against the two time defending national champion UKON team in the second half. They come back down by nine with less than three minutes left. Against Texas Tech, they come back down to the SEC champion number one seed at Auburn Tigers by
nine in the second half. They come back. It's an incredible team. I can't say enough about the Gators had that taste by the way.
He knew it was coming. I showed pat video. My daughter was at the O'Connell Center last night and it was rafters to floor. Man, it was packed.
They're fired up and gain so hey bulldog. The Houston had the clamps on Clayton Junior there for the better part of the first half, and then he got going in the second half and ended up making the play that sealed the win in the end.
Ironically, yeah, and again, how ironic that it was the Gators defense won this game. Who would have ever thought they can win this game with Walter Clayton Junior, who's been the best player in the tournament, who had sixty four points combined in the two previous games. He comes out last night, You're right, he could. They put the clamps on him. They shut him down. Thank god, by the way, for will Richard, his teammate, who hit some clutch streets in the first half to keep the Gators closed.
But yeah, Walter Clayton Junior didn't get his first bucket. Seven point fifty was left in the game, only finished with eleven points. But that defensive play at the very end, Wow, he forces the Houston player Sharp into picking up his dribble. Sharp just sort of lets go of the ball to keep from getting called for traveling, and then Alex Conan dove on the ball to end the game. Houston's last two last two possessions, will Richard caused the turnover and
then Walter Clayton Junior caused the turnover. So yeah, they won it an unconventional way. This is how they were supposed to win. If it was this sort of game, Houston was supposed to win it. But again the Gators showed they can they can adapt. And give Todd Golden credit the Gator basketball coach. I mean, he's been through through it this season. Got had those accusations against him early earlier in the season he was clear to those and now he becomes the youngest coach since Jim Valvano
in nineteen eighty three to win the national championship. Thirty nine years old, third season at Florida and already he has them as national champion. So wow, what a season.
It's then, hey, bulldog, you touched on it there a second ago. But even further to extend credit, I think you had to extend credit to the University of Florida administration for standing by the coach during all the noise in the system earlier when those allegations were flying around and easily the team could have been distracted from performing for the balance of the season, and through it all they weathered it.
Man.
And that's that's unbelievable.
Yeah. I talked to the athletic director, Scott Strickland earlier this week out here, and I asked you, and I go, why did you stick by Todd Gold? And I said, it would have been easier to you know, suspend him, and you know, wait for the you know, he goes Listen, just because you have an allegation against you doesn't mean it's true. He has right, just like the accuser had right, and yeah, he stuck behind. There was a four month investigation.
Nothing came out of it. Again, I don't know what happened, but if there's no proof and you know, he's been cleared, so that's how that works. So yeah, good for the Gators. God Strickland. Again, a lot of eighties I think would have just cut cutting loose and said listen, hey, you're gone until you know.
Whenever a listener texted in and said we're gonna have a basketball and football Natty championship in the same year, I'm like, whoa, whoa tap the.
Brakes there, Hey, speaking of Scott Strickland, I mean six months ago, this guy himself was on the hot seat. His football coach was, you know, looked like he was in the midst of a third straight losing season. The basketball coach was being investigated for a title nine allegation. He's stuck by both of them. Everybody wanted Billy Napier fired, Let's not forget that. So Strickland stuck by Napier. The
Gators won their last four games. They have one of the hottest young quarterbacks in the country coming back this season, so it looks like the football team has turned the corner. I don't know if they're gonna win the national title. That's a little far better, but exactly, Hey, the Gator athletic program is rolling once again, no question.
Well congrats to to Gator Nation. We're a bit jealous that you were there to take it all in. Dog. That had to been a memory you'll hold for a while.
Man. Oh, absolutely, it's fun. I didn't get to cover a lot of college basketball this season, but wow, I got to cover it when it counted. It was awesome.
Id Magic back in action tonight after having what four days off. They're home against Atlanta this evening. Dog it thank you.
Yeah, and they need to beat Atlanta. They're trying to fight off Atlanta to have home quarter advantage in the play in. I don't know if the Magic really need home quarter a vantage the way they played at home over the last half of the season, but it'll be important for them to beat the Hawks, try to get the home quart advantage in the play in and then obviously win the play in and then get into the playoffs. Well, they'll probably play the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Celtics or the Cavaliers all right.
In the lightning spank the Rangers last night five to one was the final. Bulldog, Mike Bianchi, You'll be back at the luxury condo later today, we trust I'll.
Be I'll be there later tonight, and yeah, I'll be it. I'll be back and ready for action tomorrow.
All right, Safe travels, Bulldog, and thanks for filling this in on the sports page from San Antonio this morning, as the Florida Gators are national champions in men's college basketball.
By the way, I just want to say this no happy birthday to day. Congratulations with all you Gator fans out there.
Boom nke w j r R number one on your presets on the all new IR radio ads for your chance to score tickets to upcoming j R R show.
Downloaded for free now at double jr R dot com.
Sure