MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.— Kyle Guy will go down as the in the newest folk hero in Virginia basketball after he lifted the Cavaliers to their first NCAA championship game in school history.

The 6-4 junior guard from Indianapolis, Ind. converted three straight pressure free throws with 0.6 seconds after he was fouled by Auburn wing Samir Doughty on a three-point shot attempt from the left baseline that gave Virginia a 63-62 victory over Auburn in the national semi-finals here Saturday night at the U.S. Bank Stadium.

“Yeah, these are moments that every basketball player has dreamed of, hitting the game winning shot or free throws or whatever,’’ Guy said. “Kind of had that feeling in your stomach, like a good nervousness, like all right, this is my chance. To be able to go to the national championship off that for these guys and coach (Tony) Bennett, I mean, I don’t have the words.’’

Guy scored the Cavaliers’ final six points, making a huge three- point jumper from the right side to pull the Cavs within 61-60 with 9 seconds left after the SEC Tigers took a 61-57 lead on a pair of free throws by Auburn forward Anferee McLemore with 17 seconds to play.

The dramatic ending was set up after Auburn point guard Jarred Harper was fouled by Virginia’s Kihei Clark after the inbounds play with seven seconds to play. Harper made the first part of a one-on-one but missed the second and Ty Jerome grabbed the defensive rebound and dribbled up the floor. Virginia called timeout with 1.5 seconds left and Jerome inbounded the ball to Guy in the left corner. As he raised up to shoot, Doughty was whistled for a foul because officials felt he did not give Guy who was airborne enough space to land.

“I heard him call it right away,’’ Guy said. “They were asking did I know because I put my face into my jersey. But that was me focusing.

Guy made the first two free throws and then Auburn called timeout, attempting to freeze him.  “I didn’t want to have anything to do with my teammates or coaches at that time,’’ he 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.’’

As Guy’s third shot fell through the net and the final buzzer sounded, he was mobbed by his teammates.

And Auburn coach Bruce Pearl whose team rallied from a 57-47 deficit with 5:03 to put the Cavs on the ropes, felt the heartbreak of defeat as his team walked off the elevated floor. There will always be the inevitable questions about whether the officials should have blown a whistle on a brush foul during the last possession.

J.D. Collins, the national coordinator of officials, issued the following statement on the call: “The call was made by official James Breeding, who ruled that Doughty moved into the airborne shooter, making contact with Guy while taking away his landing spot. The foul was a violation of Rule 4, Section 39.i, which states “Verticality applies to a legal position and also to both the offensive and defensive players. The basic components of the principle of verticality are: The defender may not ‘belly up’ por use the lower part of his body or arms to cause contact outside his vertical plane or inside the opponent’s vertical plane.’’ 

“I didn’t think it was a foul,’’ Auburn senior guard Bryce Brown said. “The officials thought otherwise. Can’t go back and rewind it so- – ‘’

That wasn’t the only controversy. With approximately 2.8 seconds left on the clock, Jerome was bringing the ball quickly up the floor, he attempted a behind the back dribble when the ball hit the back of his right foot. As Jerome retrieved the ball after it bounced away from him, he picked it up instead of continuing his dribble. The play should have been called a double-dribble, but the officials missed it.

“We didn’t focus on the that in the locker room,’’ Pearl said. “We focused on how we were going to handle the defeat at Auburn, with class and dignity. There are lots of calls during the game and you’re going to get some, and some you’re not going to get.

 “My advice, as an administrator of the game, is if that’s a foul, call it.’’

Jerome led Virginia, which shot 56.5 percent in the second half, with 21 points, Guy finished with 15. Doughty led Auburn with 13 points and the Tigers’ back court of Brown and Harper combined for 23, but the Tigers shot just 34.6 percent in the second half.

“We won’t let one call define the game because then you’re taking away from Ty Jerome or you’re taking away from Anfernee McLemore’s 12 rebounds, or Bryce Brown almost leading Auburn back to an incredible come-from-behind victory,’’ Pearl said. “I’d love that to be the story.’’