Cavaliers eke out 63-62 semifinal victory over Auburn
Kyle Guy gets fouled shooting a 3 and sinks all subsequent free throws to give Virginia a shot at redemption in the national title game.
Auburn 63-62 on Saturday in the Final Four.
A year after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16, these top-seeded Cavaliers (34-3) look like destiny’s team.
The fifth-seeded Tigers (30-10) had erased a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes and led 61-60 after Guy made an off-balance 3 with 7.6 seconds left. The shot snapped a drought of more than five minutes by the Cavaliers, who then sent Jared Harper to the line with 7 seconds left.
Harper made one and Auburn, with fouls to give, did so twice. On one, it looked as if Ty Jerome might have double-dribbled into a decisive turnover. But no whistle.
With 1.5 seconds left and in need of some magic, Virginia got the ball to Guy in the corner. He turned and fired, and Samir Doughty bumped into Guy’s hip. The shot bounced off the rim. Game over? Auburn started to celebrate and the PA announcer in U.S. Bank Stadium even announced the Tigers had won.
When the whistle blew, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl lost it on the sideline, pumping his fist and screaming.
Guy swished the first two free throws to tie it, and Auburn called timeout to ice him. It didn’t work. He hit one more for the lead.
“I just literally told myself that we dream of these moments, and to be able to make one happen was special,” Guy said.
Auburn threw a long inbound pass to Brown, but his desperation 3 was short.