MINNEAPOLIS _ They stepped onto the court for warmups with the atmosphere at U.S. Bank Stadium already electrically charged.
Texas Tech and Michigan State were 40 minutes from starting their NCAA semifinal, but the crowd was just starting to decompress from the wild finish in Virginia's victory over Auburn.
If fans thought that first game was rugged, they settled in for an absolute slugfest in Game 2, as Texas Tech outmuscled Michigan State, 61-51, to reach the first NCAA championship game in school history.
The Red Raiders will meet Virginia on Monday night in a battle of two teams that have never won an NCAA title.
Texas Tech showed an announced crowd of 72,711 and everyone else watching on television how tough it is to play against the nation's most efficient defense.
The Red Raiders spent most of the game without getting much production from expected lottery pick Jarrett Culver.
But South Dakota transfer Matt Mooney more than picked up the slack, scoring a game-high 22 points. Culver added 10 and Brandone Francis nine for the Red Raiders.
With 14:43 remaining, Texas Tech had a three-point lead but seemed to be in trouble. Culver was on the bench with three fouls and 6-10 senior Tariq Owens limped to the sideline with a twisted ankle.
But Mooney kept hitting shots, and the Red Raiders extended their lead to 13 points at one point before Michigan State mounted a comeback.
The Spartans cut the lead to 52-51 with 2:54 remaining, but that's when Culver came alive. He made a jump shot, stretching the lead to three, added a free throw and then swished a three pointer with 58 seconds remaining that proved to be the dagger.
Texas Tech coach Chris Beard called Michigan State coach Tom Izzo his idol in the days leading up the game, saying his team has such catchphrases as "Michigan State toughness" and "Tom Izzo rebounding."
The Red Raiders didn't win an NCAA Tournament game for 21 years until Beard arrived two seasons ago and led the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight.
Izzo, meanwhile, was coaching in his eighth Final Four, but the Spartans haven't won an NCAA title since 2000. Izzo was candid this week about his need to win a second NCAA title to validate the rest of what he's accomplished.
No Big Ten team has won the NCAA title since that last one for Michigan State.
Matt McQuaid had the hot hand for Michigan State early, scoring nine points before the game as seven minutes old.
Cassius Winston hit two free throws, stretching the Spartans lead to 16-11, but then the Spartans went ice cold, scoring just five points over the final 10:35 of the second half.
Michigan State had a stretch of 6:33 without a point, and Texas Tech had stretched its lead to 23-18 before Winston hit a three-pointer late in the half.
Texas Tech could have pulled away at that point, but the Red Raiders had scoring issues of their own. At one point, Owens tried a three pointer and had the ball get lodged in the rim.
Owens had two first-half blocks, however, making it very clear how difficult points would be inside for Michigan State. The Spartans didn't get a single point in the first half from three key post players _ Xavier Tillman, Kenny Goins and Nick Ward.
The Spartans made seven first-half turnovers _ the same number they had for the full game in their upset of Duke in the Elite Eight.
Culver was 0 for 6 from the field in the first half and scored just one point.
After a scoreless first half, Davide Moretti had five quick second half points for Texas Tech. Moretti, who hails from Bologna, Italy, provided a needed list, as Culver missed again.
Michigan State's turnover woes continued, as they had two more in the first five minutes of the second half.
