BY: Morgan Thayer
As the basketball went through the hoop from the free throw line, Auburn’s dream of making it to the championship came to an end. After a historic season for Auburn’s Men’s Basketball team, a penalty in the last 0.6 seconds of the game gave Virginia the chance they needed to secure a spot in the championship game.
Recovering from a 10 point deficit after half time, Auburn thought they had it in the bag. Virginia Junior Kyle Guy missed a free throw shot and the game looked to be over, but before the seconds could run out on the clock a foul was called. Auburn Junior Samir Doughty fouled, sending Guy to the line to shoot. Guy, who is an 81.8 percent free-throw shooter, now had every opportunity in the world to win the game for his team. Guy made the first two shots, Auburn called a timeout, and after returning to the court Guy made the third shot securing a win for
Auburn fans everywhere were instantly heartbroken. It was unbelievable that Auburn could lose this way. You could feel the sadness from Minneapolis all the way to Auburn. A missed double dribble call is what many Auburn fans attribute to the defeat- but was that really the reason?
Head Coach Bruce Pearl did not believe so. In post-game interviews, fans and reporters wanted to hear Pearls thoughts on the missed call, but instead, Pearl said, “We didn’t focus on that
Auburn truly gave fans the season of a lifetime The way they represented themselves all season, especially at the end, is inspiring to many. We still love you boys, and will forever remember the unforgettable final four season!