Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Virginia is one win away from a national championship after three Kyle Guy free throws gave the team a 63-62 win over Auburn in the Final Four.
Guy was fouled while he attempted a game-winning buzzer-beater, and he calmly nailed all three shots to give his team the lead with 0.6 seconds left.
Ty Jerome had 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, while De’Andre Hunter added 14 points and two blocks. Virginia lost the 10-point lead it held with just over five minutes left but found a way to escape once again.
The Cavaliers entered March Madness with plenty of question marks after last year’s loss to a No. 16 seed, but they are now on the brink of a championship.
Bryce Brown tried to keep up with 12 points against Virginia, but the Tigers’ incredible run of 12 straight wins ended in the national semifinals.
Auburn appeared ready to steal a win after Virginia controlled much of the second half, as the Tigers came back from down 10 to take the lead with a 14-0 run. This effort featured several big threes after Auburn struggled from the outside all game, including the go-ahead shot by Bryce Brown:
However, Guy made a three-pointer with nine seconds left and then got the favorable call in the corner with time running out.
While it will be heavily debated, the foul appeared to be correct:
CJ Moore @CJMooreHoops
That foul call will be the one debated, but it was right call. What Auburn should be mad about is the missed double dribble by Ty Jerome.
Pat Forde @YahooForde
Upon review, Brown’s lower body did contact Guy’s body. It’s an absolutely brutal play to potentially decide a Final Four game.
Fran Fraschilla @franfraschilla
Sorry, folks. That was a foul & been called ALL year. Must protect the shooter.
Guy hit the clutch shots to give him 15 points for the game, including six in the final 10 seconds.
On the other hand, the Cavs might have gotten away with a double-dribble a few seconds earlier:
Either way, Virginia took a one-point lead and a last-second look for the Tigers then fell short to seal the win for Virginia.
Auburn had succeeded all season by knocking down shots from the outside—leading the nation with made three-pointers—but that wasn’t easy at the start of the game.
The Tigers started just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc, with the Cavaliers defense forcing some difficult shots. This was after the Tigers suffered a shot-clock violation on the first possession, which wasn’t a great sign.
The team finished just 9-of-31 from three-point range.
However, Auburn found a way to succeed early on by attacking the paint and finishing at the rim:
Seth Davis @SethDavisHoops
The game is at Virginia’s pace, as we knew it would be, but I’ve been impressed by Auburn’s ability to get to the rim against the Cavs’ halfcourt defense. The less the Tigers settle for jump shots, the better.
This led to some easy baskets inside:
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Go ahead and lob it up
UVA-Auburn starting to warm up#MarchMadness https://t.co/KWOPvSxLxE
Still, Auburn took a 31-28 halftime lead thanks to its ability to go inside as well as a 20-14 rebounding advantage.
The team was also impressive on the defensive end to hold Virginia to difficult shots throughout the half.
There was a better offensive plan in the second half from the Cavaliers, which finally got the ball to one of their most talented players:
Rob Dauster @RobDauster
First three possessions of this half, Virginia gets the rock to De’Andre Hunter. He’s the guy that is going to make the difference for them if they come back to win.
Hunter made an impact on the defensive end as well:
Jeff Borzello @jeffborzello
The lottery pick version of De’Andre Hunter came out of the halftime locker room. Worth noting.
This level of play and a refocused defense helped Virginia regain the lead starting with an 8-0 run in the first five minutes of the second half.
The Cavaliers will try to rest up before what could be an even tougher battle in the national championship game. Virginia will face the winner of Michigan State and Texas Tech on Monday night at 9 p.m. ET.
from Update News Topic http://bit.ly/2YVvlHW
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