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Virginia beats Texas Tech to win 1st NCAA title
Virginia won the first men’s basketball championship in school history, getting a career-high 27 points from De’Andre Hunter and clutch play from Kyle Guy to beat Texas Tech 85-77 in overtime.
The first No. 1 seed out a year ago is the last one standing this year.
Hunter drained a 3-pointer with 12.9 seconds left to force the first overtime since 2008, when Mario Chalmers’ miracle helped Kansas top Memphis in San Antonio.
OVERTIME!!!
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) April 9, 2019
De’Andre Hunter!! 👏👏👏#GoHoos #NationalChampionship 🔶🔷 pic.twitter.com/6ig0Ehyy6H
The big forward continued to make plays in the extra session, including another 3 during an 11-0 run that put the game away.
Go ahead, Virginia fans: Time to yell “Wahoo!”
Virginia went 5 straight possessions to end regulation and start overtime going straight into a spread ball screen for Ty Jerome with no other movement. We are a long ways away from the traditional Blocker-Mover pic.twitter.com/l7IibmCFl6
— Jordan Sperber (@hoopvision68) April 9, 2019
Guy finished with 24 points and Ty Jerome had 16 for the Cavaliers, who like the Red Raiders were appearing in the title game for the first time. Braxton Key added six points and 10 boards.
Brandone Francis had 17 points to lead five players in double-figures scoring for Texas Tech. Jarrett Culver and Davide Moretti scored 15 apiece and Kyler Edwards had 12.
The teams matched a championship game record with 21 combined 3-pointers.
The last time both teams in the championship game had never been there before was 40 years ago, when Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat Larry Bird and Indiana State.
PHOTO: Virginia’s Kyle Guy (5) and Texas Tech’s Davide Moretti (25) chase a loose ball during the overtime in the championship of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, April 8, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)