The NCAA crowned a new champion on Monday night after the Virginia Cavaliers defeated Texas Tech.
The men’s basketball tournament final went to overtime, but the #1 seed Cavaliers pulled out a narrow 85-77 win. In doing so, they claimed their first-ever NCAA Men’s Basketball championship.
What made their win even more special is that it came only one year after they lost in the first round as a #1 seed to the 16th seed UMBC Retrievers, the first time a #1 seed had ever lost in the first round of the tournament.
It wasn’t easy for Virginia, which had to deal with a plucky Texas Tech team that scrapped and clawed their way through the game. Two halves weren’t enough to decide a winner, so the teams went to overtime.
In overtime, the Cavaliers, coached by Tony Bennett, finally pulled away. They outscored Tech by eight in the five extra minutes to seal the victory.
DeAndre Hunter and Kyle Guy led the way for Virginia, scoring 27 and 24 points in the championship game, respectively.
It was a National Championship game for the ages. One year after reaching the program’s lowest point, Virginia found redemption and claimed the crown.
