Auburn chokes in insane final seconds vs. Virginia to end Cinderella run

After coming back from a 10-point deficit to grab a lead in the final seconds, Auburn choked away a very good chance at a berth in the national championship game.

Just when it looked like Auburn was headed to the National Championship Game, they managed to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.

Despite trailing for much of the second half, including going down 57-47 with under five and a half minutes to go, the Auburn Tigers didn’t quit. Auburn got hot from deep, going on a 14-0 run after Ty Jerome picked up his fourth foul for Virginia, grabbing a 61-57 lead with just seconds to play.

What happened next was a complete disaster for the Tigers. Kyle Guy hit an off-balance three to cut the Tigers’ lead to just one, but Auburn had to feel good getting the ball into the hands of Jared Harper at the free throw line.

Harper, one of the most dependable free throw shooters on the team, only converted on one of two free throws and that miss would prove to be massive based on what happened next. Virginia got the ball back and Auburn started fouling to try and prevent Virginia from getting up a three, leaving the Cavaliers to inbound the basketball with 1.5 seconds on the clock.

The ball ended up in the hands of Guy, who chucked up a three but was fouled by Samir Doughty, sending him to the line for the potential winning free throws. Guy knocked them all down and Auburn’s last-ditch heave fell short, sending the Tigers home in absolutely heartbreaking fashion.

The Tigers do have a major gripe as the officials missed a double dribble on Jerome prior to the foul on Guy, but they committed a lot of self-inflicted wounds down the stretch. Fouling Guy was completely inexcusable, and Bruce Pearl knew it based on the way he exploded after the call.

The more glaring error is the missed free throw from Harper, which essentially cost Auburn the game. Even if the foul still occurs, Guy’s free throws would have only tied the game if Harper knocks down his free throws, and the Tigers would still be fighting for their lives in overtime.

The story of this game should have been about the Auburn defense, which held Virginia scoreless for five minutes and 13 seconds in crunch time. Instead of getting ready for the national championship game on Monday, Auburn has a long flight home and they have no one to blame but themselves.