Virginia Wins NCAA Mens Basketball Title, Beating Texas Tech In Overtime

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The University of Virginia won its first NCAA mens basketball title in school history tonight, beating Texas Tech, 85-77, in the tournament final. It was the first OT in the championship game since 2008.

Guard scoring paced the Cavaliers win as DeAndre Hunters 27 points led all scorers, followed Kyle Guy with 24. Brandone Francis paced the Red Raiders with 17 points.

It was the first mens hoops title game for either school.

For UVa, it was a sweet tournament comeback after the team had gone into the 2018 bracket as a No. 1 seed but was routed by the 16th-seeded University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in the opening round. That 74-54 beatdown was the first 16-over-1 victory in tournament history.

Coach Tony Bennets Virginia (35-3) held a three-point advantage at halftime and ended up leading by as much as 10 points. But the Red Raiders tied the game on a three-point play by Norense Odiase with 3:28 left. Texas Tech grabbed its first lead of the second half when Big Ten player of the year Jarrett Culver drove for a layup with 35.1 seconds left.

Coach Chris Beards Texas Tech had a chance to win it in regulation, but Braxton Key blocked Culvers jumper from the corner as the buzzer sounded. But the Cavs outscored the Red Raiders 17-9 in the five-minute OT, including a late 11-0 run.

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