Virginia Cavaliers Win Their First 2019 NCAA Championship in Dramatic Overtime Thriller
After surviving five rounds to make it to the 2019 NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship game, the Virginia Cavaliers were the last team standing.
The Cavaliers defeated the Texas Tech Raiders in overtime, 85-77, on Monday night in Minneapolis. The game marked the first National Championship to go into overtime since 2008.
It was a tight contest throughout, coming down to the final seconds of overtime to determine which team would earn the title for the first time in their program’s history.
However, with less than a minute left, UVA was able to seal the deal by making a number of crucial free throws — the team ended up going 12 for 12 from the line in overtime — and even a dunk.
When the clock finally ran out, the team celebrated underneath the streamers and confetti while fans excitedly rushed the court.
The victory was especially sweet for UVA, as it followed a particularly heartbreaking defeat during last year’s tournament when then-one seeded UVA was defeated by #16 UMBC in the first round of play.
Going into the tournament, Texas Tech was seeded third, while UVA was a number one seed. Monday’s game marked both Texas Tech’s and UVA’s first time ever in the final.
UVA defeated Gardner-Webb in the first round, before besting Oklahoma in round two. In the regional semifinals, UVA was victorious over Oregon, and next beat Purdue. In the final four, UVA defeated Auburn to secure a spot in the championship.
On the other side of the bracket, Texas Tech first defeated Northern Kentucky, before trouncing Buffalo and, later, number two seed Michigan.
In the Elite Eight, Texas Tech triumphed over number one seed Gonzaga, before eliminating Michigan State in the Final Four.
Going into the championship, the Cavaliers were a one-point favorite over the Raiders, according to CBS Sports.
