U-Conn. Advances to the Final Four

Connecticut 82, Missouri 75

GLENDALE, Ariz., March 28 -- Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun has participated in two similar celebrations in Arizona in the past 10 years. In 1999, there was the emotion of reaching the Final Four for the first time, followed in 2004 by the satisfaction of seeing a dominant Huskies team reach its potential.

But on Saturday, after top-seeded Connecticut secured its third berth in the Final Four with an 82-75 victory over third-seeded Missouri, the emotion was more profound because of the turbulence Calhoun and these Huskies have endured this season.

"I am ecstatic," said Calhoun, who won the West Region for the third time. "Going now with a group that found a way."

Connecticut's national tournament hopes could have derailed when one of its best all-around players, Jerome Dyson, suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-February. And most recently, the Yahoo.com report that detailed potential recruiting violations served as another possible distraction to the team's Final Four aspirations.

"I am very emotional about this team getting to the Final Four," Calhoun said. "I mean really emotional, because they have been through things."

U-Conn.'s victory ensured that at least two Final Four teams will be from the Big East, which has been viewed as the strongest conference in more than two decades. Louisville, which plays Michigan State on Sunday, will attempt to become the third Final Four team from the Big East, which would match the conference's record total in 1985.

On Saturday, Calhoun knew his team needed to play with a "delicate balance," believing it could not win by running up and down the floor with Missouri for 40 minutes. The Huskies committed 17 turnovers but clamped down defensively in the game's final few minutes and saw their guards -- A.J. Price and Kemba Walker -- make key baskets to close out the game.

The Tigers (31-7) reached their first region final since 2002 with a team absent of traditional star power. Missouri took 23 more field goal attempts than Connecticut, but the Huskies won the rebounding battle by 15 and took 20 more free throws than the Tigers. The Huskies (31-4) made their final 11 free throws.

"It does feel like it slipped away," Missouri forward Leo Lyons said. "That was a game we could have won and should have won. For us to lose this game, it hit everyone in the heart."

Fatigue is usually a factor for Missouri opponents. Memphis players looked winded throughout their region semifinal loss Thursday. But after Price made 1 of 2 free throws, Calhoun gave his senior guard a rest with 3 minutes 25 seconds remaining. Price returned a minute later and with 1:30 left posted up his defender and converted a short jumper that gave the Huskies a critical five-point advantage.

Price was named the West Region's most outstanding player, but his freshman back-court teammate, Walker, changed the complexion of Saturday's game with what Missouri Coach Mike Anderson called a "career day."

Walker scored a game-high 23 points, made four consecutive late-game free throws and made 7 of 9 field goal attempts overall. But the play that will be most remembered occurred with a little more than two minutes to play, when Walker banked in a mid-range shot with one second left on the shot clock to put his team up five points.