Tariq Owens will play vs. Virginia in NCAA men's national championship game

Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said on CBS that senior forward Tariq Owens will for sure play in the national championship game against Virginia despite dealing with a sprained ankle. However, Beard said Owens wouldn't be playing unless a title was on the line. 

Owens suffered a high ankle sprain during the Red Raiders' national semifinal win over Michigan State on Saturday. He was helped off the court before limping to the locker room and then later reentered the game. 

"Under normal circumstances he wouldn't play tonight, but this is the last Monday in college basketball, so he's going to try," Beard said on a CBS interview. 

Owens was sporting a walking boot after the injury and Beard had previously deflected questions from reporters on his status for the game. 

Beard said Owens had been receiving rehab in the hours since the Michigan State game, and noted that if the big man isn't at full strength, he's confident in this team's "next man up" capability. 

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Tip-off for Monday's title game is slated for 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS. Both the Red Raiders and Cavaliers are playing for their program's first-ever championship. 

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.