The NCAA men’s basketball season came to an end Monday night after Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 85-77, in overtime at the Championship Game of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. It was a historic evening for both teams at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis: Virginia hasn’t reached the NCAA Final Four since 1984 and never played in the championship game; Texas Tech has never made it to the Final Four, let alone a championship game.
Virginia is the top ranked defensive team in the country, as opponents only scored 55.5 point per game against them during the regular season. Texas Tech is the third ranked defensive team nationwide, with opponents averaging a mere 58.8 points per game. Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter and Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver were sources of ample star power, as both players are projected to be top picks in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Virginia, the No. 1 seed in the South region, made it to the championship game after defeating Auburn in controversial fashion Saturday night during their Final Four semifinal. Guard Ty Jerome was not called for an apparent double dribble as time wound down, and then guard Kyle Guy earned a foul call while shooting a desperation three pointer with 0.6 seconds left, where he proceeded to sink all three free-throws to give Virginia a 63-62 win.
Texas Tech has taken a bit more of a methodical route to the title game. The No. 3 seed Red Raiders have been suffocating teams in the West region all tournament with their defense, including holding Michigan to 44 points in the Sweet 16. In Saturday’s Final Four semifinal game, Texas Tech dispatched No. 2 seed Michigan State in a 61-51 victory that included 22 points from guard Matt Mooney.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for latest updates. Brian Pascus and Peter Martinez contributed to this report.
