Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HOUSTON — When it's win or go home, nobody's better than Connecticut.
Kemba Walker scored 18 on Saturday to lift Connecticut to its 10th consecutive victory since the regular season ended, 56-55 over Kentucky.
The No. 3-seeded Huskies are a victory away from their third, and most improbable, NCAA title.
Walker added seven assists and six rebounds to help UConn (31-9) extend a win streak that started with five wins in five nights at the Big East tournament and now includes five at the NCAA Tournament.
"It's an amazing feeling," Walker said. "It's a little surreal right now."
This one was not pretty.
No. 4 Kentucky (29-9) shot 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field, 33 percent (9-of-27) on 3-pointers and 33 percent (4-of-12) from the free-throw line and went 5:39 without a point late.
"I just think we missed a bunch of open shots," Kentucky senior forward Josh Harrellson said. "We had good looks, and we just weren't knocking anything down. We just couldn't make anything."
UConn wasn't much better. It made 1 of 12 3-pointers and went the final 2:29 without a field goal.
But Walker, Alex Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier made baskets to turn a 48-48 tie into a 54-48 lead.
DeAndre Liggins made a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three, and Kentucky had its chances. Brandon Knight barely drew iron on a 3-pointer. After Kentucky got the rebound, Liggins drew a foul but hit only one of two free throws.
Kentucky, which trailed 31-21 at halftime after making 9 of 32 shots, forced one more turnover — Napier dribbling the ball off his foot — and went for the win. But this time, it was Liggins whose 3 was short. Napier made two free throws to make it 56-52, and Knight ended the game with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
"We had our chance to win the game, and as a coach, that's all you can ask of these young people," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Give us a chance, and we had an opportunity."
The Huskies, a freshman-filled team that lived down to expectations by going 9-9 in the Big East, haven't lost since 70-67 to Notre Dame to close the regular season on March 5.
UConn wasn't nearly as dominating as in its 84-67 victory over Kentucky in November's Maui Invitational final. But a win's a win. In all, the Huskies are 13-0 in tournament games.
Now they have one more.
"We've got a heck of a challenge," coach Jim Calhoun said. "But the fact that we're playing Monday night, that's beautiful."