4/8/25 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Tuesday
8 April 2025 Sports
Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. somehow overcame Houston’s spirit-crushing defense Monday night to pull out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller not decided until Clayton’s 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 he’ll be remembered for most was getting Houston’s 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.
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 didn’t 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 Florida’s defense, not Houston’s, 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 wasn’t 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, Houston’s 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 men’s 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.
After having their first off-day of the season Monday, the Brewers return to Coors Field tonight against the Rockies. RHP Freddy Peralta (0-1, 2.08 ERA) faces Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-1, 2.13 ERA). First pitch is at 7:40 CDT.
In games played in NL Central Monday, the Pirates beat the Cardinals 8-4, the Cubs shutout the Rangers 7-0 and the Reds blanked the Giants 2-0.
In the Midwest League tonight the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are at Quad Cities with the first pitch at 6:30.
The Bucks are back on the court tonight after a day off Monday and play at Minnesota against the Timberwolves.
Right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester went from Boston to Milwaukee in a trade Monday that sends the Red Sox outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez, a competitive balance selection in the upcoming draft and a player to be named.
In a move announced later Monday, the Brewers got outfielder Daz Cameron from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for left-handed pitcher Grant Wolfram.
The addition of Priester gives some immediate help to a Brewers pitching staff decimated by injuries. Left-hander Nestor Cortes went on the injured list Sunday with a flexor strain in his throwing elbow, leaving Freddy Peralta as the only healthy pitcher among those projected to be in Milwaukee’s five-man rotation this season.
Boston adds a promising 19-year-old to its farm system and gets the 33rd overall pick in this year’s amateur draft.
Priester, 24, went 3-6 with a 4.71 ERA while making seven starts in 11 combined appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Red Sox last season. He had 33 strikeouts and 14 walks in 49 2/3 innings.
He also went 4-2 with a 4.38 ERA in 16 starts at the Triple-A level. He struck out six, walked nobody and allowed two runs and six hits over four innings in his lone start with Triple-A Worcester this season.
The Pirates selected Priester with the 18th overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft. They traded him to the Red Sox last July for infielder Nick Yorke.
Rodriguez signed with the Brewers out of the Dominican Republic in 2023. He batted .250 with a .343 on-base percentage, seven homers and 60 RBIs in 110 games with Single-A Carolina last season. In three games with Single-A Wisconsin this year, Rodriguez batted .417 with a .462 on-base percentage.
Priester will report directly to the Brewers rather than going to the minors. The Brewers’ list of pitchers on the injured list includes Aaron Ashby, Aaron Civale, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Nick Mears, Tobias Myers and Brandon Woodruff, as well as Cortes. Jose Quintana is working his way into pitching shape after signing a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Brewers during spring training.
The Brewers initially made room for Priester on the 40-man roster by designating Wolfram for assignment. Wolfram then got sent to the Orioles in a trade for Cameron, the son of former MLB outfielder Mike Cameron.
Cameron, 28, hit .200 with a .258 on-base percentage, five homers, 15 RBIs and five steals in 66 games with the Athletics last season. He owns a .201 batting average, .263 on-base percentage, 10 homers, 39 RBIs and 14 steals in 139 career games with the Detroit Tigers (2020-22) and Athletics.
He will report to the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville affiliate.
Wolfram, 28, has never pitched in the majors. He had pitched in the Texas Rangers’ farm system from 2018-24 before the Brewers signed him as a free agent in December.
The Milwaukee Brewers will hold a public ceremony honoring the life of longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker before their Aug. 24 game with the San Francisco Giants.
Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio had announced plans for this type of summer ceremony in January after Uecker died at the age of 90. The date wasn’t revealed until Monday.
Emmy-winning broadcaster Bob Costas, a longtime friend and former colleague of Uecker’s, will host the event. The ceremony will feature appearances by special guests as well as videos with rarely seen content from Uecker’s life.
All ticketed fans will receive a lapel pin featuring the design of the Brewers’ uniform patch honoring Uecker. Baseballs and bases featuring a Uecker celebration logo will be used during the game. A raffle will benefit three of Uecker’s favorite charities: the Wounded Warrior Project, the ALS Association and the Medical College of Wisconsin Bob Uecker Chair for Cancer Research.
“As we continue to navigate the loss of Bob, we’re truly grateful to the Brewers for hosting this Celebration of Life,” son and family representative Bob Uecker Jr. said in a statement. “We look forward to coming together to honor his memory and share in the meaningful moments of the day.” Uecker broadcast Brewers games for 54 years and continued in that role last year even after he was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. The Hall of Famer earned the nickname “Mr. Baseball” and developed a national following because of the sense of humor he showed during chats with Johnny Carson, in appearances in Miller Lite beer commercials and in featured roles in the movie “Major League” and on television’s “Mr. Belvedere.”
“We continue to mourn Bob’s passing, but we feel his presence every day at the ballpark, and in our lives,” Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said in a statement. “August 24 will offer all of us an opportunity to come together to celebrate Bob’s life and re-live the countless, unforgettable memories he created so effortlessly.”
High School Baseball (Mon.)
Omro 14 Tri-County 0
Winnebago Lutheran at Fond du Lac (postponed)
Omro 14 Tri-County
Ashwaubenon 8 Appleton West 2
Softball:
Deerfield 6 Dodgeland/Hustisford 0
High School Baseball (Tues.)
Ripon at Berlin
Hartford at Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Plymouth at Kewaskum
Winneconne at Waupun
Campbellsport at Saint Mary’s Springs
Laconia at Winnebago Lutheran
Lomira at Omro
Mayville at North Fond du Lac
Beaver Dam at West Bend West
De Pere at Menasha
New London at Green Bay East/West
Seymour at Xavier
Shawano at West De Pere
Elkhar Lake Genbeulah at Tri- County
Fond du Lac at Appleton East
Oshkosh North at Hortonville
Appleton North at Kaukauna
Neenah at Oshkosh West
Clintonville at Fox Valley Lutheran
Freedom at Wrightstown
Little Chute at Waupaca
Wittenberg-Birnamwood at Wautoma
Lacrosse Logan at Mauston
Nekoosa at Pittsville
Westfield at Poynette
Platteville at Wisconsin Dells
Wayland Academy at Central Wisconsin Christian
Horicon at Lourdes Academy/Valley Christian
Oakfield at Hustisford/Dodgeland
Rio at Cambria-Friesland
Markesan at Green Lake/Princeton
Montello at Randolph
Softball (Tues.)
Berlin at Ripon
Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Lakeside Lutheran
Kewaskum at Plymouth
Waupun at Winneconne
Campbellsport at Mayville
Laconia at Saint Mary’s Springs
Winnebago Lutheran Academy at Lomira
Omro at North Fond du Lac
Beaver Dam at Waunakee
New London at Menasha
Seymour at Green Bay West/East
Shawano at Xavier
Wautoma at Weyauwega-Fremont
Bowler/Gresham at Wild Rose
Fond du Loac at Appleton East
Oshkosh North at Hortonville
Oshkosh West at Neenah
Clintonville at Wrightstown
Freedom at Oconto Falls
Adams-Friendhip at Brookwood
Mauston at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau
Nekoosa at Pittsville
Richland Center at Wisconsin Dells
Dodgeland/Hustisford at Oakfield
Wayland Academy at Horicoan
Rio/Fall River at Cambria-Friesland
Markesan at Princeton/Green Lake
Randolph at Montello
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