MINNEAPOLIS – For the first time in program history, the University of Virginia won the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship. The Cavaliers beat Texas Tech 85-77 in overtime.
Virginia and Texas Tech went back and forth for much of the second half.
Wahoos win the championship. JPJ erupts. pic.twitter.com/ZQ0WLAieW7
— Tommy Lopez (@TommyLopezTV) April 9, 2019
Virginia was holding a ten-point lead until Texas Tech came back with a vengeance with about three minutes left in the game, and tied it up 59-59.
With one minute left in the game, Tech's Davide Moretti sunk a three-point jumper, narrowing Virginia's lead to 65-64.
WIth under a minute left in regulation, the Red Raiders took the lead after Jarett Culver made a layup, to go up 66-65.
De-Andre Hunter hit a three-point shot with 12 seconds left in the game to tied it up 68-all to send it into overtime.
Mooney made his second three-point shot of the game, bringing the score to 73-70 with Texas Tech leading with a little less than three minutes left in the OT.
The Cavaliers made some key free-throws in overtime and we able to hold off the Red Raiders and win 85-77.
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9:45 p.m.
Virginia gets plenty of credit for its tight, aggressive man-to-man defense, but the Cavaliers have pulled ahead in the national title game in part because Texas Tech can't make a shot.
The Red Raiders missed their first five shots of the second half, and a couple of them were wide open looks. They've found some space on the perimeter against the Cav's pack-line defense, but so far the only one taking advantage of it has been Brandone Francis.
Matt Mooney, the hero of the Red Raiders' semifinal win with his barrage of 3-pointers, is 1 for 4 from the field and 0 for 2 from beyond the arc. And star guard Jarrett Culver missed his first eight shots before getting a pair of buckets in the lane.
Kyle Guy continues to pace Virginia with 15 points and it's 42-35 with 14:15 to play.
9:10 p.m.
At the end of the first half, Virginia was leading Texas Tech during the NCAA championship game, 32-29.
The Cavaliers and Texas Tech played to a stalemate most of the first half before Jerome buried a dead-on 3 to send coach Tony Bennett's team into the locker room with a 32-29 lead.
The second half could be decided by which star shows up.
Virginia's best NBA prospect, DeAndre Hunter, missed his first seven shots before getting a nifty up-and-under to go with 90 seconds left in the half. Tech counterpart Jarrett Culver, a projected lottery pick, is 0 for 6 from the field and has just three points in 17 minutes.
Kyle Guy leads the Cavs with 10 points. Davide Morretti and Brandone Francis have eight apiece for the Red Raiders.