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UConn Holds Off Mizzou's Charge

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By ANDREW BAGNATO

The Associated Press

Published: March 28, 2009

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Connecticut often overwhelms opponents with its size and strength.

Harried by the fighting Missouri Tigers, UConn needed something else: speed.

Enter 6-foot-1 freshman Kemba Walker, who matched a career high with 23 points as the top-seeded Huskies held off Missouri 82-75 in the West Region final Saturday. UConn earned a trip to Detroit and extended the Big East's dominance of the NCAA Tournament.

UConn is headed to its third Final Four, where it will meet Louisville or Michigan State. This trip might have seemed harder than the others, because the Huskies were rocked this week by a report alleging they violated NCAA recruiting rules.

Then came a duel with Mizzou. But the Huskies kept their poise even as the Tigers erased an early 11-point lead to surge ahead in the second half.

"We took some bumps, we took some bruises, but here we are once again going to the Final Four, and I'm just elated," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said.

Among those banged up was 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet, who bloodied a finger scrapping for a loose ball on the floor in the second half. The Big East Co-Player of the Year finished with 13 rebounds but only five points and no blocks.

A.J. Price added 18 points and was named most outstanding player of the region. But the difference was Walker, who deftly handled the Tigers' pressure defense.

"I can't lie to you, after the game I actually did cry," said Walker, who went 7-for-9 from the floor and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.

UConn kept its emotions in check when it counted, though, clinching the victory by making all 10 of its free throws in the final 1:02.

The Huskies (31-4) are still in the hunt for their third national title - the first two went through regionals in Phoenix in 1999 and 2004.

While the Huskies are headed for Detroit, the wait goes on for Missouri, which remains one of the top programs never to reach a Final Four.

Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence each had 13 points for Missouri (31-7), which was long on heart but short on rebounds. UConn dominated the boards 47-32.

"Obviously, I hurt for our guys," Mizzou coach Mike Anderson said. "I thought I could get them to that magical place. Maybe we just ran out of time, a couple minutes."

Indeed, the Tigers edged within 68-65 on Justin Stafford's tip-in with 2:42 to go.

That's when Walker answered with the shot of the game - an improbable off-balance bank shot as the shot clock clicked toward :00.

"I was turning and turning and turning, and I just kind of threw it up," Walker said. "It was definitely a big basket. It was a heartbreaker."

Stafford scored again, but Price hit a jumper to push the Huskies' lead to 72-67, and the Tigers never recovered.

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