MINNEAPOLIS _ The best men's basketball season in Texas Tech history ended one win short of its final goal.
Neither Tech's chip-on-the-shoulder mindset nor the disruptive defense that had frustrated teams in the Big 12 and the NCAA Tournament were enough to stop Virginia in an instant classic Monday.
Virginia won 85-77 in overtime thanks to a late 10-0 run before 72,062 at U.S. Bank Stadium. As confetti fell, Tech seniors Matt Mooney and Brandone Francis sank to their knees on the court.
Sophomore De'Andre Hunter, who had forced overtime with a 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining in regulation, hit a 3-pointer with 2:09 left in overtime to give Virginia a lead it would never relinquish.
The Cavaliers (35-3) got clutch performances from Hunter (27 points) and junior Kyle Guy (24 points), hitting the shots that didn't fall for teams like Michigan, Gonzaga and Michigan State in the tournament. Virginia, which had been the No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed when it fell last season to Maryland-Baltimore County, completed its redemption tour.
Even with Virginia shooting 52 percent in the second half, Tech kept challenging but just couldn't get enough defensive stops until the end.
A 7-0 run on a 3-pointer by Davide Moretti, a putback by Jarett Culver and two free throws by Norense Odiase gave Tech a 68-65 lead. But Hunter got open on the baseline for a game-tying jumper with 14 seconds left. Culver's attempt at a game-winner was blocked by Virginia's Braxton Key.
Despite the loss Tech (31-7) finished the season with more wins than any team in program history to go with its first Big 12 championship (shared with Kansas State). The Red Raiders were trying to duplicate the title run of the women's team in 1993 under Marsha Sharp.
Coach Chris Beard's nomadic resume and folksy anecdote for every occasion had won over the public, as had a Tech lineup with varied backgrounds and no blue-chip talents. The gritty mindset was personified in the title game by senior graduate transfer Tariq Owens, who started despite a painful high ankle sprain that limited him.
Blame the pressure of being in the national championship for the first ever.
Or credit Virginia, which has a reputation for suffocating Pack-Line defense nearly as fearsome as Tech's.
Either way, the Red Raiders struggled early. Tech made just one of its first 11 shots _ a 3-pointer by Davide Moretti _ and fell behind by 10, its biggest deficit of the tournament.
Beard responded by going to his bench and getting a huge lift.
Senior Brandone Francis, playing for the memory of slain rapper and family friend Nipsey Hussle, provided eight points, including two 3-pointers. Freshman Kyler Edwards, from Arlington, added five points.
The two led an 18-4 run to give Tech a 4-point lead late in the half. Tech's reserves would eventually outscore Virginia 29-6. Francis led the Red Raiders with 17 points and Edwards added 12 points.
Virginia rallied in the first half. Ty Jerome's 3-pointer from the top of the key put the Cavaliers up 32-29 just before the buzzer.
Tech fans even brought a Lubbock tradition to the Twin Cities. Late in the half, several tortillas were launched from the Red Raider student section, a staple of home football games at Jones A&T Stadium dating back decades. One even made its way to the court, forcing a stoppage in play and a warning.
Even that little touch of home wasn't enough for a national title.
