MINNEAPOLIS — The Virginia men’s basketball team’s first Final Four game in 35 years ended with elation for the top-seeded Cavaliers, who despite wasting a double-digit lead in the final minutes advanced to the NCAA tournament championship game with a 63-62 win over No. 5 seed Auburn thanks to three free throws by Kyle Guy with 0.6 seconds left on Saturday night.
With the Cavaliers trailing, 62-60, in the final moments, Guy was fouled shooting a 3-pointer from the left wing.
The junior guard made all three foul shots, and Auburn could not get off a shot before the horn sounded. Teammates mobbed Guy after the game ended, and the junior flashed a wide grin.
Virginia advanced to Monday night’s title game to face Michigan State or Texas Tech, who met in Saturday’s late semifinal, at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Tigers erased a 57-47 deficit by scoring 14 points in a row down the stretch, with Bryce Brown’s 3-pointer putting Auburn ahead 59-57 with 1:56 to play. The senior guard made three 3-pointers during the surge.
Anfernee McLemore made two free throws for Auburn with 17 seconds to play for a 61-57 lead before Guy sank a 3-pointer to pull Virginia within a point with 7.4 seconds to play.
The Cavaliers (34-3) immediately fouled, and Jared Harper split a pair of foul shots. The Cavaliers got the rebound of the miss and called a timeout with 5.4 seconds left in the game before Guy landed his trip to the free throw line.
Guy finished with 15 points, second on Virginia behind Ty Jerome’s 21. Samir Doughty lead Auburn (30-10) with 13 points. The Tigers were 9-for-31 from beyond the arc.
The Cavaliers had claimed their largest lead of the game on Jerome’s 3-pointer with 5:18 to play, leading to a timeout from Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. Jerome walked to the Virginia bench with arms raised, urging the Cavaliers faithful to make noise.
The timeout settled Auburn. The Tigers countered Virginia’s 7-0 surge, capped by Jerome’s 3-pointer, with 14 points in a row.
An uptick in defensive pressure helped the Cavaliers take the lead early in the second half.
They did not permit Auburn to score for the first 5:46 coming out of halftime, bothering the Tigers by getting their hands on loose balls, forcing deflections, going under screens and guarding man-to-man with extra vigor.
The Tigers went eight consecutive possessions without a point to open the second half.
De’Andre Hunter handled the bulk of the scoring for Virginia during a 12-5 burst with three baskets in the paint, including grabbing an offensive rebound and putting the ball in to grow the advantage to 40-36.
The lead expanded to 50-43 with 8:53 left when Kihei Clark and Jerome sank 3-pointers.
The journey to Virginia’s first Final Four berth since 1984 began with the Cavaliers putting to rest, at least in part, echoes of last season’s loss in the round of 64 with a compelling run in the NCAA tournament that included a shot for the ages in the South Region final.
With one second to play against No. 3 seed Purdue and the Cavaliers trailing by two, Mamadi Diakite caught a pass from Clark, a freshman, and sank a jumper as the horn sounded in regulation. Virginia went on to win in overtime, 80-75, with players reveling in validating coach Tony Bennett’s defensive-minded approach.
“We’re not going to compromise on how we play, but at the same time, our style of play is just to win,” Guy said on Friday. “So we can score with the best in the country, and we can defend with the best in the country. Whatever it takes to win is what’s most important.”
Guy reclaimed his shooting touch in the regional final, making all five of his 3-pointers in the second half after having gone 3 for 28.
He made just one shot from beyond the arc in the first half against the Tigers, curling around a screen and sinking a deep 3-pointer after collecting a quick pass from Diakite, who started his third consecutive game, again replacing center Jack Salt.
Diakite had been among the Cavaliers’ most valuable players in this NCAA tournament, having scored in double figures in three of the team’s first four games. The 6-9 forward combined for 31 points and 18 rebounds during the first weekend for the most productive two-game stretch of his career. His biggest contributions in the first half Saturday came on the defensive end, primarily guarding McLemore. Diakite also had a block on Doughty that brought Virginia fans to their feet.
Jerome carried the Cavaliers offensively in the first half, scoring 13 points, but he didn’t get much help. Virginia trailed 31-28 at halftime after the Tigers closed on a 14-6 push that featured 3-point field goals from Doughty and McLemore.