Emanuel Sharp Dejected After Costly Late Error Gives Florida March Madness Win Against Houston

During the national championship game’s final possession, Houston’s Emanuel Sharp received consolation from his Cougar teammates and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. This came after Sharp decided not to attempt a shot despite having a clear opportunity.

With less than five seconds left on the clock, Sharp had an open look for a long-distance 3-pointer but opted to hold onto the ball instead. This decision raised eyebrows as it could have been a game-changing moment.

Sharp could not touch the ball, or else it would be a turnover, leading to the clock running out and the Cougars losing the national title. 

Adding to Sharp’s disappointment, on Houston’s second-to-last offensive play, he made a crucial mistake by losing control of the ball. The untimely turnover occurred when he fumbled his dribble, resulting in a turnover that favored Florida.

The Gators defeated the Cougars 65-63, overcoming a 12-point deficit to take down the Big 12 Champions, denying Kelvin Sampson his first national title as a head coach. 

Sharp was one of Houston’s best players all season long. Now, his season may be best remembered for how it finished, not his efforts to lead the school to a national-title appearance.  

Only one Houston player scored in double-digits, L.J. Cryer, who finished the game with 19 points. 

Sharp finished the game with 8 on 3-for-11 shooting, including 1-of-7 from 3-point range. 

That clip from beyond the arc makes Sharp’s decision to take the long-range shot with his team’s season on the line all the more audacious. 

Sharp was in tears on the Alamodome court and leaving view from the San Antonio venue.   

Maybe the only silver lining for Sharp is that he has not exhausted all of his eligibility and can return to play for Houston next season and gain some retribution. 

The Cougars led for a heavy majority of the game, continuing with Florida’s comeback theme of the entire tournament. 

In only the Gators’ games against Maryland and Norfolk State, Florida did not trail by several points or more. Florida struggled in parts against UConn, Texas Tech, Auburn, and Houston. 

Yet, the closing memory from the March Madness finale will be the lack of a shot on the final possession from Sharp.  

One college basketball fan on social media joked that the NCAA should investigate Sharp, as he hails from Tampa, Florida. 

Tons of videos and memes at Sharp’s expense were posted to social media quickly after his flub, including one of WWE wrestler Kevin Owens hitting himself in the face with a steel chair. 

Another person posted a clip from the documentary ‘Beyond Scarred Straight’ of how Houston’s teammates felt about Sharp in the final moments. 

After his awful error, and confetti started to fall after Florida’s win, Sharp did not move from his crouched position for nearly 30 seconds. 

Even with television cameras in his face, he did not move to join the handshake line until he was propped up by teammate Ja’Vier Francis. 

Sharp averaged 12.8 points per game this season, with only 0.8 turnovers a contest. He picked a brutal moment to lose his composure, as his flub was the closing shot of the college basketball season. 

‘My heart breaks for Emanuel Sharp,’ CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein said moments after the game ended.

Rothstein also brings up Georgetown’s Fred Brown passing the ball to North Carolina near the end of the 1982 championship game.

Not mentioned is Chris Webber calling timeout, when the Wolverines did not have one, to cost the ‘Fab Five’ a national title against North Carolina in 1993.