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Green's shot downs Vanderbilt

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, left, and Southern California's Keith Wilkinson battle for the ball during their NCAA East REgional game on Friday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. North Carolina came back to defeat Southern California 74-64. PHOTO: AP

Jeff Green spun and banked in a short, off-balance shot with 2.5 seconds to play and Georgetown edged Vanderbilt 66-65 in the US college basketball championship on Friday.

The victory was the seventh straight and 18th in 19 games for second-seeded Georgetown (29-6) and put them in the East Regional final for the first time in 11 years.

It will be game for fans to savor: Georgetown plays North Carolina, a rematch of the 1982 championship game that Michael Jordan won in the closing seconds for the Tar Heels.

Sixth-seeded Vanderbilt (22-12) had one last chance to win the semifinal but a long 3-pointer by Alex Gordon was contested by Green, the Big East player of the year.

UNC 74, USC 64

Brandan Wright compensated for off games by Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson and top-seeded North Carolina (31-6) almost waited too long to make their move.

Down by 16 points early in the second half, the Tar Heels suddenly shifted into another gear and came back against Southern California.

Fifth-seeded USC (25-12) was putting on a dunking exhibition and led 49-33 with 17:42 left before it all fell apart.

From 57-49 down, the Tar Heels went on a 13-0 run that put them ahead for the first time since the opening minute.

Trojans coach Tim Floyd threw his program onto the court after a call in the final minute and was whistled for a technical foul.

Wright finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. His strong play offset Hansbrough's 1-for-6 shooting for five points and Lawson's four points.

Taj Gibson had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Trojans.

Florida 65, Butler 57

At St. Louis, defending champion Florida started slowly -- again -- and staved off another challenge with a late surge.

Al Horford had 16 points, seven rebounds and a key block in the final minute to help the top-seeded Gators hold off undersized Butler.

The Gators (32-5), who were trying to become the first team since Duke in 1992 to win consecutive national titles, advanced to the Midwest Regional final today against Oregon.

Florida trailed by as many as nine points and never found its comfort zone against the scrappy Bulldogs (29-7).

But it took control in the final two minutes -- thanks mostly to Horford, who converted a three-point play with 2:34 remaining, then blocked a shot with 16.3 seconds remaining. Teammate Corey Brewer finished with 11 points.

Oregon 76, UNLV 72

Tajuan Porter, the little guy nobody wanted, has put Oregon one game away from the Final Four.

The diminutive Porter tied a US college regional record with eight 3-pointers and finished with 33 points and third-seeded Oregon withstood a frantic comeback to top seventh-seeded UNLV.

Malik Hairston had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Oregon (29-7), which has not reached a Final Four since winning it all in 1939. Maarty Leunen hit three 3-pointers and added 11 points.

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