It was deja vu for Auburn whose season nearly ended in the first round of the tournament against New Mexico State. In that game, it was Brown who fouled New Mexico State’s Terrell Brown on a three-point attempt with 1 second remaining in nearly the same identical spot that Guy was fouled Saturday night. The difference in the two games was Terrell Brown made one of three free throws with his team down two points. Auburn would escape with a 78-77 victory.<doc-sep>After an insane finish in the Virginia vs Auburn Final Four showdown, it would only make sense that some incredible Twitter reactions would surface in the aftermath. Auburn fouled Kyle Guy with 0.6 seconds remaining ? (via @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/BR9MBvHqdP — SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 7, 2019 Down two points with almost no time left on the clock, Auburn’s Samir Doughty was called for a questionable foul on Virginia’s Kyle Guy, setting Guy up for three free throws to essentially end the game. Guy would drain all three and send Virginia onto the National Championship. Virginia had only previously been to two final fours, never advancing to the national championship game before in program history. The ending of the game marred what was an otherwise incredible basketball game, seeing both teams change leads throughout the game before Virginia pulled away down the stretch. Not to be put away easily, Auburn stormed back into the game with a monster run in the final minutes and eventually took back the lead. The dismal end result predictably sent the Auburn faithful into a frenzy. Especially on Twitter, fans were extremely vocal in their defense of what they felt was the biggest robbery in the history of the tournament. Virginia vs Auburn Wild Finish Twitter Reactions Tainted is a strong word but this game without a doubt goes down as one of the worst bad beats in the history of sports. Foul on Auburn? Maybe. Double dribble on Virginia? Absolutely. Congratulations, @NCAA. This #FinalFour is forever tainted******* — Kevin Scarbinsky (@KevinScarbinsky) April 7, 2019 One half of Barstool Sport’s podcast Mickstape, Tyler said this was probably the second worst way to lose a game. He would later go on to admit that it might in fact just be worse. I think that’s the worst way you can lose UNC/Nova style aside my god — Trill Withers (@TylerIAm) April 7, 2019 Well, it seems karma might in fact just be a real thing after all… Auburn almost lost their first-round game because they fouled a New Mexico State shooter attempting a three with one second left in a 2-point game. They lost their Final Four game because they fouled a Virginia shooter attempting a three with one second left in a 2-point game. — Rodger Sherman (@rodger) April 7, 2019 We’ll touch on that in just a second Big Cat & PFT, don’t you worry. Auburn fans give us your #BigMad — Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) April 7, 2019 It most definitely was a basketball game, no doubting that take. My overall take right now on Virginia-Auburn is that it was definitely a basketball game. — Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) April 7, 2019 Throw the 401K, nay, the house, farm, and kids on Texas Tech! In the words of Marty Mush, “that’s why we have two games”. That why you have two games. Texas Tech for the 401k. Bookie I swear I’ll even up at the mlb all star game — MartyMush (@marty_mush) April 7, 2019 Best Auburn Twitter Reactions to Loss I mean, it WAS technically a foul but yeah, can’t say you’re wrong here though… Auburn got robbed! — SC:Alcatr3z (@ALCATREZ___) April 7, 2019 Now here is where the fun starts. Love how this fellow feels that Tony Bennett and Virginia have zero integrity for winning a hard-fought game. The only rational solution is to just forfeit! @marchmadness @UVAMensHoops if your coach has one ounce of integrity and character he should forfeit the Monday championship game. You didn’t win this game with @AuburnMBB , you were given a win on a clear no call on the double dribble. No way to spin this @marchmadness — Charles Parker (@cparker3692) April 7, 2019 You and me both brother, you and me both… Auburn on the money line for $1K…..winner winner chicken dinner. Oh wait, ref wants to be famous — Jamey Perlinski (@JameyPerlinski) April 7, 2019 This post, courtesy of our guy Jerry, comes with a heavy dose of extra salt after the loss. I just want to congratulate Virginia and their referees on a great game. Now, if Auburn makes it back to the final four next year, maybe they can bring their referees! — Jerry Newman (@JerryNew66) April 7, 2019 Charles just wants to cry right now. Poor man, that noncall on the double dribble was a heartbreaker.<doc-sep>(CNN) Virginia's redemption tour isn't finished yet. And for Texas Tech, their greatness may just be beginning. A year after becoming the first No. 1 seed in men's college basketball history to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament, Virginia has reached the title game, defeating No. 5 seed Auburn at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. "To think this time last year we were starting our spring workouts, and to still be playing at this point in the season with, after tonight, one other team in the whole country on the stage that you dreamed about since you were a little kid, it's an unreal feeling," Virginia guard Ty Jerome said. "We're going to do everything we can to finish the job." The Cavaliers will face No. 3 seed Texas Tech, a bit of a surprise finalist. The Red Raiders, in their first Final Four, beat No. 2 seed Michigan State 61-51 in a tough battle in the second semifinal. "Why not us?" Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "We've got good players. We've got a great university. We play in arguably the best league in the country. We won the Big 12 regular season title. We're a good team. We've got good players. I think we deserve to be here." The men's championship is Monday at 9 p.m. ET. It will be the first meeting between the two programs, and neither team has won a national title. Controversial ending Virginia's win was far from assured. Auburn had a 62-60 lead with 1.5 seconds left. But Virginia's Kyle Guy was fouled by Auburn's Samir Doughty while launching a buzzer-beater attempt with 0.6 seconds remaining. He hit all three free throws, giving the Cavaliers the 63-62 victory. "These are moments that every basketball player has dreamed of, hitting the game-winning shot or free throws or whatever," Guy said. "Kind of had that feeling in your stomach, like a good nervousness, like, all right, this is my chance. To be able to go to the national championship off of that for these guys and (head coach Tony) Bennett, I mean, I really don't have the words." J.D. Collins, the NCAA's national coordinator of officiating, gave a statement regarding the foul. "The call was made by official James Breeding, who ruled that Doughty moved into the airborne shooter, making contact with Guy while taking away his landing spot," Collins said. "The foul was a violation of Rule 4, Section 39.i, which states, 'Verticality applies to a legal position and also to both the offensive and defensive players. The basic components of the principle of verticality are: The defender may not "belly up" or use the lower part of the body or arms to cause contact outside his vertical plane or inside the opponent's vertical plane.'" In addition to the foul, there was a no-call that has fans talking. It appeared officials missed a double dribble by Jerome, which happened a few seconds before Guy was fouled. If that turnover had been called, Auburn, instead of Virginia, would have had the ball late. "I do feel for Auburn, but I feel better for us right now, and I'm just thankful these guys stepped up and played the way we needed to and got through," Bennett said. "Survive and advance, I guess that's taking on a new meaning." Jerome led all scorers with 21 points. Guy had 15, while De'Andre Hunter had 14 for Virginia. Doughty had 13 points for Auburn, while Bryce Brown and Jared Harper had 12 and 11 points, respectively. A football school playing for a basketball title Texas Tech has just one team sport with a national championship in school history. That came from the women's basketball team in 1993 led by the legendary Sheryl Swoopes. The men's basketball team now has the chance to make it two. A school these days better known for football -- NFL MVP and former Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in attendance on Saturday -- Texas Tech and its Red Raiders have made a swift ascension. You think Patrick Mahomes is having fun? pic.twitter.com/MrWAL4Y69V — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2019 Thanks to a stingy defense, Texas Tech (31-6) knocked off No. 2 seed Michigan and No. 1 seed Gonzaga to reach the Final Four, and now Michigan State (32-7). Led by Beard for the past three seasons, Texas Tech is now in the championship game a year after reaching the Elite Eight. The Associated Press coach of the year has only been coaching in Division I -- the highest level in the NCAA -- for four years. He previously coached in Division II for Angelo State and McMurry University in Division III (both in Texas) and for the American Basketball Association's (ABA) South Carolina Warriors. His first two head coaching opportunities came at the junior college level with Fort Scott Community College in Kansas and Seminole State College in Oklahoma. "I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything," Beard said earlier this week when accepting the AP coach of the year award. "I'm very proud of my background, in small college and junior college and Division II. I feel like I represent a lot of people, maybe people I don't even know." The rosters' leaders include seniors Norense Odiase, Tariq Owens and Matt Mooney as well as sophomore Jarrett Culver. On Saturday, Mooney -- who had stops at Air Force and South Dakota before arriving at Texas Tech for this season -- was the game's top scorer with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting. MATT MOONEY IS FEELING IT pic.twitter.com/qGi9YeZ4Dg — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2019 "It's been a heck of a journey," Mooney said. "A lot of people have helped me get to this point, have helped me along the way. You know, this is -- I'm living the dream right now." Cassius Winston had 16 points for Michigan State. "Very seldom in my career have we kind of got out beat up, and tonight was one of those nights," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, who falls to 2-6 in national semifinal games, said. No blue bloods Winning a title would be a fitting end considering how 2018 ended for Virginia. After being shocked by No. 16 seed University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in the NCAA tournament last season, Virginia (34-3) is the lone No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four this year. This year's NCAA men's Final Four has a bit of a different feel to it. Missing this year are the well-known established blue bloods: This is the first Final Four since 1987 that doesn't have Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville or UCLA. Instead, the most experienced team to make the Final Four -- and the only to win a championship -- was Michigan State, winning it all in 2000 and 1979. Until Saturday, Auburn and Texas Tech had never been in a Final Four. This is Virginia's third Final Four appearance and first since 1984. While there was no true Cinderella in this year's Final Four, the closest one was Auburn (30-10). The Tigers beat three of those blue bloods -- Kansas, UNC and Kentucky -- en route to Minneapolis, making Auburn the only team to have beaten those programs in consecutive games in NCAA tournament history. "I think that for us, I thought that we looked like we belonged," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said after Saturday's loss to Virginia. "We weren't supposed to be here. We weren't supposed to have a chance to win -- or maybe had a chance to win, but unlikely. ...So this will be a memorable game, and I'd like it to be remembered for a great game."<doc-sep>
The Virginia Cavaliers are dancing on to the national championship game in Minneapolis. 70 thousand plus fans packed US Bank Stadium and they watched Auburn take a three point lead to the locker room at the break. In the second half, Hunter asserts himself offensively. Check out the drive and baby hook. He finished with 14 points. Jerome was still feeling it. He buries another three and Virginia led by 10, 57-47 with just over five minutes left. But Auburn chipped away. This three ball from the corner capped a 12-0 run and gave the Tigers the lead by two. With just 1.5 ticks left Kyle Guy works free in the corner and gets bumped. That's a foul and Guy heads to the line for three free throws and a chance to win it. He calmly knocked in all three, with ice water in his veins. Virginia somehow coughs up the big lead and then somehow finds a way to win it 63-62 the final. The Hoos are headed to the national championship on Monday night. “In our practice gym and weight room says success happens when preparation meets opportunity. You know, we take pride in overpreparing. We're very tactical, very strategical, you know Coach Bennet has done a great job,” said Kyle Guy. “It's huge. Preparation and experience. You know, it's stuff we worked on so many times in practice. We worked on these situations. We worked on these late-game plays so many times,” said Ty Jerome. “I still haven't processed it. Probably when I go to the hotel, lay down, and talk to my family about it. As of right now, it still hasn't sunk in that we're going to the championship. I mean, we just worked for it, I want to say we deserve it. But we work hard for it. And when you work hard for something, you usually get the reward for it. The reward is here and we are going to take it,” De'Andre Hunter said. “We just go through it and we just playing. Next play. We have a lot of good veterans on the team that really keep us composed. We never doubt ourselves, even when Ty got that fourth foul and was out of the game and they made a run. Just continue to play our game,” Kihei Clark said. “I do feel for Auburn, but I feel better for us right now. I'm just thankful that these guys stepped up and played the way we needed to. We got through. Survive and advance I guess that's taken on a new meaning,” said coach Tony Bennett. Virginia will meet Texas Tech in the first ever meeting between the two schools. Both the Cavaliers and Red Raiders are making their first championship game appearance.