MINNEAPOLIS -- Virginia had the game, Auburn ripped it clean away, then Virginia stole it back for good.
Somehow. Some way.
This Virginia season -- the stuff well beyond what movies are reasonably made of -- keeps going. Unbelievably, unthinkably, the Cavaliers are one victory away from the unprecedented turnaround: one-and-done in 2018, One Shining Moment in 2019.
The Wahoos are in the national title game for the first time in program history, Kyle Guy's gut of steel maybe being the biggest reason why. No. 1 seed UVA pulled off another absurd escape on Saturday night, beating No. 5 Auburn 63-62 after Guy sank three free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to topple Auburn in an ending that stunned the stadium, fooled the public address announcer and sparked controversy.
"When he shot it, I looked at the trajectory of the ball, and I knew it wasn't going in," UVA forward Mamadi Diakite told CBS Sports. "I felt we were done -- and then I heard the whistle. And I went nuts."
US Bank Stadium was fooled, stunned, elated, angry, in disbelief.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was volcanic.
Changing from red to purple, Pearl was fuming over the foul call. Auburn had the game. Pearl had his moment. It was there, and then it evaporated. The Tigers would have won, almost certainly, had the officials picked up on Ty Jerome's double-dribble, which came earlier in Virginia's possession. Auburn even tried to space out its fouls, of which it had two to give, to reduce Virginia's chances of winning.
The Cavaliers, who have been dealt brutal NCAA Tournament defeats in recent years, upset losses that came before the UMBC stunner, have somehow tapped into the beyond. Guy wasn't even supposed to shoot the shot that wound up in a foul, accidentally committed by Auburn's Samir Doughty.
The intended play, UVA down by two, was to throw a lob to Diakite and get the game to overtime. "When I wasn't open, I was freaking out," Diakite said.
Jerome instead found Guy, who gave the NCAA Tournament its second indelible moment of a game-changing foul on a 3-point shot. Purdue's Carsen Edwards pulled it off in the Sweet 16 vs. Tennessee; Guy induced Doughty into a call that will be a part of Virginia basketball lore.
And now Virginia's get-to-overtime escape against Purdue in the Elite Eight has been equaled, if not topped. And unlike that unthinkable victory, Saturday's national semifinal will be remembered for its controversy.
Guy stood at the free throw line, the fate of his team and school three shots away. The pressure was so tense, Diakite couldn't bear to look during Guy's second free throw. Guy, an 81.8-percent foul shooter, hit all three to give Virginia one of the most unlikely comeback, last-second victories you'll ever see in a tournament setting.
Cash. Thrice.
There was no icing him. As Virginia huddled for an Auburn timeout to ice the junior, game tied at 62, Guy wandered in and out of the huddle, kept himself moving. With Bryce Brown giving the choke sign behind him. Guy, who has kept the photo of him slumped over after losing to UMBC as his Twitter avatar all season, was nails.
"Yeah, I didn't want to have anything to do with my teammates or coaches at that time," Guy said. "I just wanted to be in my own space. I knew they had confidence in me; I just needed to build up my own. And we all practiced those shots as a kid. They were probably a little bit more spectacular than free throws, but whatever it takes to win."
A rolling wave of boos from Auburn fans drowned out the cheers from Virginia as Guy made his way out of the stadium's inner bowl after he did his interview on CBS.
After Harper's desperation shot fell short, he sat alone on the court, looking dazed. Auburn assistant Steven Pearl was making a beeline to the officials, screaming in protest. Defeat is hard. Defeat under these circumstances is something that, as a coach and a player -- even a fan, too, of course -- you don't get over.
Ask Virginia.
You can ask Auburn now, too. The Tigers took a 12-0 run to grab the lead late into the second half. Jerome, who finished with a game-high 21 points, picked up his fourth foul with 4:32 remaining. The table then totally flipped on Virginia, which was thrown out of its rhythm.
And let us not forget the Guy 3 with seven seconds remaining. That shot, and Harper's 1-of-2 effort at the foul line with seven seconds remaining, made way for a UVA dream ending. Because until Guy's 3, Virginia went 5:15 without a point. Auburn had the game. Had it.
You can't just be good, really good or even great to win the NCAA Tournament. You need to be lucky. Virginia has been all of that. It's needed it. It's making for a story that's spooling out in a way we've never seen before in college basketball.
"We always have the last answer, that's what's happening," Diakite said.
Can't argue it.
Guy's 3 and his three free throws will be remembered most, but it was Jerome -- the most reliable player this season for the Cavaliers -- who was the steady and dependable star throughout the game. And the second-half awakening of De'Andre Hunter was key to Virginia separating to a 10-point lead late in the second half.
The irony of it all: This was a clean game (24 fouls total), a slow-paced game (only 59 possessions), until the final minute. The final minute brought chaos to Minneapolis.
"I do feel for Auburn, but I feel better for us right now," Bennett said. "I'm just thankful these guys stepped up and played the way we needed to and got through. Survive and advance, I guess that's taking on a new meaning."
Virginia's needed two miracle endings to make it this far. There is something spookily cosmic touching this team. Losing to a 16 seed is providing a second life, a third.
The Cavaliers will play for more than a national title on Monday night; they will play for a chance at the greatest redemption story in college sports history.