UCLA, the most storied program in US college basketball is back in the Final Four along with Louisiana State University, which reached its first national semifinals in 20 years on Saturday.
No. 2 seed UCLA defeated the top-seeded Memphis Tigers 50-45 in the Oakland Regional final to earn its first Final Four appearance since the school's 1995 US championship.
Meanwhile, LSU's homegrown Tigers beat Texas 70-60 in overtime in the Atlanta Regional final.
PHOTO: AFP
LSU will face UCLA next Saturday in the national semifinals in Indianapolis.
In Sunday's regional finals, Villanova plays Florida, and George Mason meets Connecticut.
Arron Afflalo scored 15 points and shut down Memphis leading scorer Rodney Carney, and Ryan Hollins added 14 points, nine rebounds and drew two charges on defense as cold-shooting UCLA (31-6) won its 11th straight game in the lowest-scoring regional final since the shot-clock era began in 1986.
The UCLA Bruins have 11 national titles -- more than any other school -- 10 under Hall of Fame coach John Wooden starting in the mid-1960s. They are making their 16th Final Four appearance, tying North Carolina for the most ever.
Darius Washington Jr. scored 13 points to lead Memphis (33-4), which had its seven-game winning streak end along with the career of Carney, a possible NBA lottery pick who hoped to play his final game in his hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four.
Carney was held to five points on 2-for-12 shooting in his final college game. Afflalo swarmed Carney at every chance, only two days after defending national scoring leader Adam Morrison.
LSU 70, Texas 60, OT
In Atlanta, Glen Davis scored 26 points, including a decisive 3-pointer in overtime, and Tyrus Thomas added 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead LSU past Texas.
The LSU (27-8) starters have known each other since they were kids, drawn together at the basketball court. Three of them are from Baton Rouge, practically in the shadows of the LSU campus. Another grew up in nearby Denham Springs, and Darrel Mitchell is from right down the road in St. Martinsville.
"We're like brothers," Mitchell said. "Brotherhood and togetherness."
The final margin wasn't indicative of a game that was close all the way. The lead changed hands 11 times, and there were seven ties. No one had a double-digit lead until the end.
But No. 2 seed Texas (30-7), which was trying to become the first Division I school to win national titles in football and men's basketball in the same academic year, fell apart in overtime. They were down seven by the time they got off their first shot of the extra period.
Texas couldn't overcome poor games by its two leading scorers. P.J. Tucker was held to 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting. LaMarcus Aldridge was dominated in the head-to-head matchup with Davis, making only 2-of-14 shots to finish with four points.
Elton Brand had 32 points and nine rebounds, Sam Cassell scored 26 points and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Washington Wizards 116-101 on Saturday for their 40th victory of the NBA season.
Chris Kaman added 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who reached the 40-win mark for only the third time in the last 27 seasons and the first time since 1992-1993 under Larry Brown. The franchise record is 49 in 1974-1975, and Los Angeles can tie that mark by going 9-5 for the rest of the way.
Antawn Jamison scored 31 points for the Wizards, who had beaten the Clippers eight of the previous 10 times they faced each other in Los Angeles. Gilbert Arenas, who averaged 34 points in the two games against the Clippers last season, had 17 points after getting 18 against them in a 102-97 loss on Nov. 9 at Washington.
Mavericks 98, Hawks 83
At Atlanta, Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help Dallas to a win over the Hawks.
Jason Terry added 26 points and Jerry Stackhouse had 16 for the Mavericks (54-16), who are percentage points behind San Antonio (54-15) for the best record in the Western Conference.
Al Harrington scored 19 points for Atlanta, which has lost three in a row and seven of eight. Joe Johnson added 17 and Marvin Williams had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Kings 91, Jazz 89
At Salt Lake City, Mike Bibby scored 24 points and had eight assists to help Sacramento hold off Utah and put some more distance between the Kings and the Jazz in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Trailing 91-89, Matt Harpring airballed an 18-footer at the buzzer that would have tied the game. With the win, the Kings moved three games in front of the Jazz for the final playoff slot.
Andrei Kirilenko had his second career triple-double with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.
Deron Williams made a layup for Utah before Kenny Thomas stole the ball and Brad Miller scored on a drive for a 90-87 edge with 48 seconds left.
Carlos Boozer, who had 19 points and 16 rebounds, scored on a putback with 1.8 seconds left to make it 90-89. Bibby made one of two free throws with 0.8 left before Harpring's final miss.
Suns 107, Nuggets 96
At Phoenix, Shawn Marion scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help Phoenix beat Denver in a showdown of division leaders and possible playoff preview.
Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points and Andre Miller 21 for the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets, whose three-game win streak ended.
Phoenix and Denver are close to locking up the second and third seeds, respectively, in the Western Conference playoffs.
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