The Huskies and Panthers will play in the title game Saturday night for the third straight year and each won one of the first two.
"It's a big rivalry. We really hate those guys. That's all we do is play each other," Connecticut guard Taliek Brown said after the second-seeded and ninth-ranked Huskies beat Villanova 84-67 Friday night in the semifinals.
Sixth-ranked Pittsburgh (29-3), the top seed, beat Boston College 62-53 in the other semifinal to set up the tie-breaking rematch.
"We like to run and they play physical, it's a real battle," Brown said. "We beat them. They beat us. This is for the real championship."
Ben Gordon scored 29 points and Connecticut (26-6) won again without Emeka Okafor.
The loss ends Villanova's surprise run in the tournament.
The No. 6 Panthers (29-3) will play No. 9 Connecticut for the championship tonight.
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