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Williams Saves Cardinals

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 23, 2009

DAYTON, Ohio - The crushing full-court press wasn't getting anything done against unflappable Siena. A double-digit lead had evaporated. And, from those black folding chairs on the Louisville bench to the plastic red-and-blue seats all around the arena, it was clear to everyone that the top-seeded team was starting to panic.
Coach Rick Pitino called a timeout and made a challenge.

"You've got to prove to yourselves now you're a great basketball team," he told the rattled players.

His carefree senior got the message. Terrence Williams rallied the teetering-but-not-toppled Cardinals to a 79-72 victory Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, putting Louisville in the round of 16 for the second straight year.

Williams had 24 points, 15 rebounds and one saving play after another after Pitino urged someone to step up in the last seven minutes.

"Only he has that type of ability to hear a voice, perform it, get it, and do it," Pitino said.

Louisville (30-5) will play 12th-seeded Arizona in the Midwest Region semifinals on Friday in Indianapolis, riding a 12-game winning streak that was very much in doubt in the closing minutes. Siena (27-8) overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half and led by four before Williams took over, hitting 3s, getting rebounds and starting fast breaks with one-handed passes.
Edwin Ubiles scored 24 points for the Saints, who handled Louisville's full-court pressure and then applied some of their own. The Cardinals headed to the bench for a timeout with stunned expressions after Clarence Jackson's lay-in put Siena up 63-59 with 7:20 to go.

The Associated Press

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