Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Ty Jerome, No. 1 Virginia Advance to NCAA Championship with Win vs. No. 5 Auburn

Rob Goldberg

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:

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:

This led to some easy baskets inside:

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:

Hunter made an impact on the defensive end as well:

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.

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)