No. 1 seed Virginia advanced to the national championship game after beating No. 5 Auburn in Saturday’s first Final Four game. But it ended in controversy.
After Virginia had a full-on collapse and Auburn took the lead late, the referees first missed a clear double-dribble call against the Cavaliers, which would have given the Tigers the ball with about four seconds left. Instead, Auburn fouled to slow Virginia down because it had fouls to give.
With one second left, Auburn had a 62-60 lead, and Cavaliers’ sharp-shooter Kyle Guy went up for a three for the win from the corner. But Auburn guard Samir Doughty fouled Guy, sending him to the line for three free throws and a trip to the national championship game.
Guy didn’t hit the kind of clutch shots we usually think about when it comes to the NCAA tournament. But no doubt the pressure was on for Guy at the line.
He sank all three free throws, and Auburn had less than a second to try and launch the ball across the court for a long-shot winning 3-pointer. It was a heartbreaking way for Auburn to go down, especially when you factor in the missed double-dribble call from earlier.
Here’s why it was a foul:
Guy’s poise at the line and in key situations overall is a huge reason why Virginia will play Monday for the program’s first national championship.
He finished with 15 points and four assists, and he admitted after the game that he was nervous at the free throw line, like just about anyone would be. He told CBS afterward:
“I could lie to you and say I knew I was going to hit them, but I was terrified.”
And college basketball fans were impressed with his composure and perfection after he went 3-for-3 at the line to win the game for Virginia.
