North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough Nose Was Broken

On the rather brutal play you're about to see, North Calrolina's Tyler Hansbrough's nose was broken by Gerald Henderson. The act was in the process of play and not a fight, so it's hard to say it was intentional but it certainly was terrible. It seemed as of Henderson was going to swat the ball and found Hansbrough's face instead.

Here's the video:




Here's the ESPN report:

Hansbrough likely to play in ACC tourney with mask
ESPN.com news services

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tyler Hansbrough will probably play in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament despite breaking his nose during the blood-filled final seconds of No. 8 North Carolina's victory over 14th-ranked Duke on Sunday.

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Although the game was fairly ordinary by this rivalry's standards, the Duke-North Carolina feud was knocked up a notch by a flying forearm, writes Pat Forde. Story

Hansbrough suffered what coach Roy Williams said Monday was a small nondisplaced fracture when Duke's Gerald Henderson flagrantly fouled him with 14.5 seconds left in the Tar Heels' 86-72 win. Hansbrough also may have a broken tooth.

Williams said Hansbrough is being fitted with a custom-made protective mask and should be ready for North Carolina's first tournament game Friday. Hansbrough leads the team and ranks among the ACC's leaders with averages of 18.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.

However, according to North Carolina, a final decision on whether or not Hansbrough wears a mask for the ACC tournament has not been determined.

The fracture was discovered during an X-ray Monday morning, Williams said during the ACC's weekly coaches' teleconference. Shortly after the game Williams had said Hansbrough's nose was not broken.

"I gave some bad information because I had a bad source ... the source was Tyler," Williams said Monday. "It's not completely broken. ... His nose did not have to be set, straightened out or anything like that."

Hansbrough had his nose broken after pulling down the rebound of his own missed free throw and going back up for a layup. Henderson leaped to block the shot and after the ball left Hansbrough's hand, Henderson's right elbow appeared to strike the Tar Heels' center in the nose, sending him crumpling to the ground.

Blood poured down Hansbrough's face and onto his lip, his chin and the court, and he had to be restrained from the Blue Devils as he went to the locker room. Henderson was ejected and received an automatic one-game suspension for Duke's ACC tournament opener against North Carolina State.

"[Tyler] was actually fouled by Steve Johnson on the ground and by that time Gerald Henderson has left the floor. His intent is to stop him from scoring at the basket," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday.

"His hand is open but the ball never goes up there and in the middle of the jump he never extends his arm and because there is no ball you can see [Gerald] turning and closing his eyes and he hits Tyler.

"If it were intentional then his hand would have been closed and he would have met him head on. To me that's what happened. It's unfortunate that the kid got hurt and all the blood. That's the way I see it. If I thought he did that intentionally, then I would suspend him for longer than a game. That's my take on it," Krzyzewski said.

Krzyzewski said Duke won't appeal Henderson's suspension.

Williams also said that Hansbrough injured a tooth earlier in the game and will probably need a root canal after the season ends.

"I don't think there is any intentional planned thing, 'I'm going to go get the guy,' " Williams said. "I think it was an unfortunate thing that happened during the game."

Krzyzewski agreed with Williams' assessment, but said Henderson deserved the suspension for the foul.

"[Henderson] should be punished [for the foul]. These kids don't have long careers and you never want an incident to soil or taint someone's reputation. He's an amazing kid."

ACC commissioner John Swofford said Monday he was satisfied with how officials reacted Sunday. Swofford said the ACC took another look at the play Monday.

"I am satisfied with it. It's unfortunate the way the incident happened. The officials handled it well. The other players and the two coaches handled it well once the incident happened. One of the worst things that could happen is for that to set up something bigger. They all handled everything well and I'm supportive of the actions taken by the game officials."

The Associated Press and ESPN.com's Andy Katz contributed to this report.



462 comments on "Hansbrough likely to play in ACC tourney with mask"

robbysmuk (3/5/2007 at 12:28 PM)
i think it is ridiculous that Henderson shuld have to Miss a game let alone have been ejected from that game. It was unfortunate but obviously not intentional. By the way, what was tyler doing in the game.
BCS1029 (3/5/2007 at 12:30 PM)

In Defense of Duke, I'd ask: WHY was Hansbrough still in the game trying to score at the point anyways? When you're ahead by 14 points with the ball and only a few seconds left, the gracious and classy thing to do is have your starters out and your subs just dribble out the clock----NOT still having your leading scorer in aggressively trying to score and rub it in by running up the margin of victory. If Hansbrough's gonna do that in that situation, he better be prepared for the hard foul coming at him. I think a justifiable argument can be made that he WAS ASKING FOR IT.
JL062072 (3/5/2007 at 1:28 PM)

The fact of the matter is that Henderson did intentionally foul Hansborough. He did not try to break his nose but he was out of line. I don't think either belonged in the game at the time the foul happened. I think a one game suspension is good enough and that everyone should leave it at that.

UCLA Captures Pac-10 Title For Second Year - ESPN Wire

Associated Press

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) -- Arron Afflalo scored 14 points to help No. 2 UCLA beat No. 13 Washington State 53-45 on Thursday night to wrap up its second consecutive Pac-10 title.
UCLA (26-3, 15-2) had already clinched at least a tie with WSU and the top seed in the tournament before Thursday night's victory.
Kyle Weaver scored 14 points for Washington State (23-6, 12-5), which saw its hopes for the first Pac-10 title in its history end.
After trailing by one at the half, the Bruins made 11 of their first 14 shots to open the second half and pulled away from the Cougars in a game matching the top two defenses in the conference
UCLA scored the first nine points of the second half on two baskets by Josh Shipp, one by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and a 3-pointer by Afflalo for a 31-23 lead.
Washington State missed its first six shots of the second half and did not score until Aron Baynes made two free throws with 16:06 left. The Cougars made just one field goal in the first 7 minutes of the second half.
Darren Collison's jumper gave UCLA a 45-35 lead midway through the second half.
Washington State scored six straight, with Robbie Cowgill's short jumper cutting the UCLA lead to 47-43 with 3:25 left. But Mbah a Moute replied immediately with a basket for the Bruins.
Baynes' layup cut UCLA's lead to 49-45 with 2:35 left. But Shipp iced the game from the foul line.
Shipp finished with 12 points for the Bruins, who shot 51 percent in the game and held Washington State to 37 percent. The Cougars made just 8-of-28 from the field in the second half.
The Bruins have won five straight since a loss at West Virginia.
In the first, UCLA made its first five shots to take an 11-4 lead. Cowgill's slam for WSU tied the game at 16 with 5:56 left.
Daven Harmeling's 3-pointer, the only one of the game on 10 attempts for WSU, gave the Cougars a 23-22 lead with 28 seconds left, and that was the halftime score.
Washington State, which leads the conference with only nine turnovers per game, committed 10 turnovers in the first half and 14 in the game.
The Bruins lead the series 91-13, winning 12 in a row in Pullman.
Before the game, WSU presented retired basketball coach Dick Bennett with an honorary alumnus award for the three years he spent rebuilding the problem before turning it over to his son Tony this year.

NCAA Elight Elight Had $25 Million Economic Impact On SF Bay Area

Ok, that may not be a lot, but many elected officials will take it. Here's the article on the news.

NCAA tournament brings basketball fans to Oakland

March Madness arrived in Oakland on Tuesday night as the first wave of basketball fans poured into town for NCAA regional final games Thursday and Saturday -- a premier sporting event that could pump as much as $25 million into the Bay Area economy.

Tourism officials expect the "Sweet Sixteen" and "Elite Eight" tournament games to draw at least 15,000 basketball fans from all over the nation. As a result, the regional economy should get a short-lived but significant boost as fans of Bradley, Gonzaga, Memphis and UCLA stay at hotels, eat at restaurants and spend money on entertainment.

"Pretty much everyone agrees this is going to be a big boost to the economy," said Manette Belliveau, executive director of the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We expect all the hotels will fill up and all the res-taurants and entertainment venues will be very busy starting (Wednesday)."

Hotels in the East Bay and on the Peninsula began welcoming the first of the tournament crowd Tuesday night, tourism officials said.

The Sweet Sixteen round begins Thursday with Memphis (32-3) taking on Bradley (22-10) and then Gonzaga (29-3) versus UCLA (29- 6). The winners will take the court against each other Saturday for a chance to reach the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Tickets sold out months ago for the three games at the 19,000- seat Oakland Arena. Some seats were sold to Bay Area residents, but several thousand additional out-of-towners are expected to show up without tickets to enjoy the camaraderie with other fans and take part in other tournament activities.

Basketball fans can get a free sneak peak at the teams during four practices beginning at noon today at the Arena. But that's about the only thing connected to the tournament that doesn't cost anything.

"In the world of sports, the NCAA tournament is fairly prestigious -- so this means big business for Oakland and the surrounding cities," said Zennie Abraham, chief executive officer of Oakland-based Sports Business Simulations, a sports management consulting firm. Abraham said the tournament will bring in a total of $25 million to local economies, based on estimates of several days of expenses for 15,000 visitors, and valuable publicity for host Oakland. Just the mere mention of Oakland on national television is worth as much as $5,000 a pop, Abraham said.

"Every time someone hears 'Oakland' they think of our city," said Abraham, who once led a drive to try to bring football's Super Bowl to Oakland. He estimates a 30-second commercial during the NCAA regional finals would cost about $250,000.

But local officials declined to say how much money they expect the regional finals to generate. Oakland tourism officials will be more willing to talk about the economic impact after the tournament, once the agency completes a survey of businesses, Belliveau said.

"Everybody wants to know the magic number, but we don't want to put out something that isn't accurate," she said.

Arthur Fleisher, a sports economist at Metropolitan State College of Denver, said the actual economic impact of sporting events often falls short of expectations anyway.

"Most economists find that the impacts of things like the NCAA tournament and the Super Bowl are overestimated," he said. "The people who put out these estimates have an incentive to kind of inflate the numbers. "The actual economic impact can be less than one-tenth of the estimates."

It's difficult to nail down a figure because not everyone agrees on the value of the publicity and, in Oakland's case, because many of the visitors are likely to stay and shop in other nearby cities. San Francisco, with its vast network of hotels and shopping districts, might emerge as the real winner, Abraham said.

"It's a Bay Area benefit, not just Oakland," Abraham said. "Most people will stay in San Francisco and even San Mateo" because Oakland alone does not have enough hotel rooms to accommodate everyone.

Many people may be waiting until the last minute to check in, as hotels all over the Bay Area -- even by the airport and the Arena -- still had rooms available Tuesday.

The nearly 500-room City Center Marriott, one of Oakland's premier downtown hotels, also had vacant rooms late in the afternoon. A sales manager couldn't be reached for comment.

Business Writer Matthew Bunk can be reached at 510-208-6468 or mbunk@angnewspapers.com.

Duke "Coach K" Commercials Upset NCAA Athletic Directors and Coaches

"Coack K," Duke Men's Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski's appearances on commercials for Chevrolet and American Express aren't just upseting bloggers, but athletic directors as well.

I learned from a well-placed source that "many athletic directors are questioning the legality of his commercials" with respect to NCAA regulations. The athletic execs feel Duke has an unfair recruiting advantage because Coach K appears nationally pitching so many reconized brands.

It's no secret that he's been seen frequently during "March Madness" and right at the time when many obvious high school recruits would be watching the NCAA Tournament.

WRAL.com raised an issue about this with the NCAA, but they claim there's no violation:

ACC Sports Journal Editor David Glenn said he has received dozens of e-mails from sports fans who see the ads as a recruiting tool.
"The American Express ad where Coach K addresses the player, 'I want to turn you into this. I want to do this for you,' is a little bit more of a sensitive topic and it's one thing some coaches have criticized," Glenn said.

The NCAA told WRAL there is no violation. Coaches are allowed to endorse products. However, the timing and the message raise questions since they come during a quiet period in recruiting when college coaches are not allowed to talk to high school players.

"If you want to call that a loophole, I wouldn't tell you not to," Glenn said.

Duke student Ryan Mattocks argues complaints are about power, not principle.

"With that much success, it's going to breed some jealousy," he said.

Glenn said power is a player in the argument.

"He's been to a lot of Final Fours. He has won three national championships. That gets you a platform," he said. "Duke has become the New York Yankees of college basketball. You either love them or you hate them."

WRAL was unable to get a comment from Krzyzewski. Duke University told WRAL that the school supports the ads. Some of the money from the advertising will go toward the Emily Krzyzewski Youth Center in Durham, named for Krzyzewski's mother.

We'll stay tuned for more on this.

NCAA Tournament Tickets Here for ALL CITIES!

Just click on the title of this post to get them -- electronically and for all cities.

Duke's Redick sets record

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DURHAM, N.C. -- J.J. Redick now stands alone among Duke's all-time greatest scorers.

The senior sharpshooter scored 30 points to set the program's career scoring mark and help the second-ranked Blue Devils beat Miami 92-71 on Sunday, a win that could vault them back to the No. 1 ranking.

Redick finished 10-for-15 from the field and hit six 3-pointers for the Blue Devils (25-1, 13-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), passing assistant coach Johnny Dawkins by one point on the all-time list with 2,557 points. That also moved Redick into second place in the ACC career lists, 30 points behind Wake Forest's Dickie Hemric.

Redick was honored at midcourt after the game, receiving a game ball from Dawkins, athletics director Joe Alleva and university president Richard Brodhead.

Guillermo Diaz scored 23 points to lead Miami (14-12, 6-7), which has lost four straight conference games after a surprising start in the league.

SBS's Final Four Predictions

They're coming soon. But get Final Four tickets while you're at it with a click on the title of this post.

No. 18 Kansas tops Baylor to claim 10th in a row

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas coach Bill Self said he saw it coming.
Freshman Julian Wright scored 20 points and the Jayhawks (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) beat Baylor 76-61 Tuesday night for their 10th straight victory.
Wright finished 10-for-11 from the field and Kansas got 32 points in the paint against the outmanned Bears, but looked lethargic throughout. Coming right after a big win over archrival Missouri and right before a trip to No. 7 Texas that'll probably decide the Big 12 crown, the Jayhawks never were able to generate much enthusiasm from themselves or their normally raucous crowd.
"We didn't play with any energy all night long," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "This is the worst outing that we've had from an energy standpoint in quite some time. But I expected it. It was a sandwich game and we really didn't get after them like we could have."
Wright, a 6-foot-8 swingman often overlooked among a talented freshman class that also includes Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush, hit his usual variety of inside and outside shots and also had five rebounds.
"I was just trying to run the floor," he said. "Mario gave me a few good feeds early."
The Bears (2-11), not allowed to play a non-conference schedule because of NCAA sanctions, avoided a rout by making nine of 14 3-pointers in the second half.
"We did a good job well from 3s," Baylor guard Aaron Bruce said. "They did a good job of blocking us out and forcing us into plays we didn't want to make."
The Jayhawks (20-6, 11-2 Big 12) took a half-game lead in the league race ahead of No. 7 Texas, which plays at Kansas State on Wednesday night. The Longhorns host the Jayhawks on Saturday.
Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team has already lost to Texas twice, likes the Jayhawks' chances.
"They have the talent and the athletic ability and the depth," Drew said. "They are right there."
Kansas guard Jeff Hawkins was suspended for the game following his citation on Sunday morning for leaving the scene of a minor traffic accident at a fast food restaurant. Self said he would probably play against Texas.
"It's not a big deal," he said. "It's about being responsible. You have a situation and then you don't handle it the way you should handle it. The incident is not a big deal but you can't not accept responsibility when it occurs."
Baylor has lost 22 straight games against ranked opponents, and 30 of its last 33 away from home. But the Bears shot 40 percent against a Kansas team that came in leading the nation with a 36.1-percent field-goal defense.
"At least this game, we were in it," Drew said. "They had the cushion in the second half, but it wasn't a 30-point game. I was pleased with how we competed for 40 minutes."
After hitting their first three shots, the Bears missed 14 of 16 and Kansas went on a 10-0 run. Rush made a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Jayhawks a 31-13 lead.
But then Tommy Swanson hit a 3 for Baylor with 7:05 left in the half and the Bears went on a 10-0 run. Kansas led 33-25 at halftime.
Freshman Curtis Jerrells scored 17 points for Baylor. Bruce and Swanson each had 13.
The Jayhawks shot 52 percent. Rush and Darnell Jackson scored 11 points apiece and C.J. Giles had 10.

Arkansas fined for Saturday's on-court celebration

Feb. 21, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference fined Arkansas $5,000 after fans rushed onto the court following Saturday's overtime victory over Florida.

The SEC, in its ruling Monday, said Arkansas fans violated its policy on "access to the competition area." when 20-25 fans rushed the court following the Razorbacks' 85-81 win over then 10th-ranked Florida at Bud Walton Arena.

University spokesman Kevin Trainor said the policy was approved by all 12 SEC member schools for safety reasons. He also said Arkansas submitted a report of the incident, as requested by the league, and learned of the fine on Monday.

Trainor said the school will pay the fine.

The policy, which went into effect on Dec. 1, 2004, says that access to a basketball court will be limited to student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and authorized individuals.

"This policy is designed to create a safe environment for everyone who participates and attends our athletic contests," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said in a news release. "The security and protection of our student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans is our primary concern."

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Virginia explodes from 3-point range in victory vs. Boston College

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary know they are the keys to Virginia's success. They also know the more help they get, the more the surprising Cavaliers will be expected to win regularly.

Reynolds scored 28 points, Singletary had 16 and several other players made key plays at both ends Tuesday night, leading Virginia past No. 11 Boston College 72-58.

"Everybody was feeling it tonight," said freshman Mamadi Diane, who hit three of Virginia's 12 3-pointers -- including two in the second half when the Eagles tried to rally.

Having the confidence to take the shots has been difficult, he said, and something his teammates have implored him to do.

"Just getting those shots, it was basically like me alone in the gym," he said.

Laurynas Mikalauskas, playing with a protective mask on his face after breaking his nose and sustaining a concussion against Florida State on Saturday, scored only four points, but got them on a pair of baby hooks to help sustain Virginia's momentum.

He also helped contain the Eagles' bruising front line. Virginia held Jared Dudley to six points, nearly 11 below his average, on 2-for-8 shooting from the field.

And Tunji Soroye avoided the foul trouble that so often plagues him and had six points, seven rebounds and two blocks, immeasurably aiding the defensive effort.

"The team's growing up," Reynolds said. "Maturity. Everybody's just learning and listening and carrying out their assignments. The whole team made plays tonight."

The Cavaliers took control early, getting 16 points from Reynolds in a 26-6 first-half run thast opened a 31-13 lead. The Eagles took a timeout and responded with nine straight points, but Virginia never let them closer than 10 the rest of the way.

"We were tougher than a tough team," first-year Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao said.

Boston College shot 35 percent and had a five-game winning streak snapped.

The Cavaliers (14-10, 7-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 38-28 at halftime and never let the lead shrink below 10 in the second half. Every time the Eagles seemed to be starting a run, someone for the Cavaliers made a play to stem the tide.

Diane's second 3-pointer gave Virginia a 53-38 lead, and the last made it 58-43 with 7:36 remaining. Singletary followed that one with one of his own, but said Reynolds was the key, starting with a deep 3-pointer he made during the first half.

"When he hit that, I knew he was going to be hot," Singletary said.

Reynolds finished 9-for-15 from the field, 4-for-7 on 3-pointers.

The Eagles (21-6, 8-5) had only lost to No. 1 Duke in their last 11 games, but missed their first eight shots and didn't match Virginia's need to win.

"Right from the very beginning it was clear that Virginia wanted the game," Boston College coach Al Skinner said. "We did not at all meet their energy. I thought the game was physical and we did not respond to that."

Virginia finished 12-for-21 on 3-pointers and shot 52 percent overall.

Craig Smith led Boston College with 22 points and nine rebounds, and joined Danya Adams as the only Eagles players with 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

Tyrese Rice, a freshman who starred at L.C. Bird High School in Richmond, added 10 points for the Eagles, but did all his scoring in the first half.

The loss prevented Skinner from breaking a tie with Jim O'Brien for the career victories lead at the school. Each coached 168 victories.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Illinois Stunned by Michigan 72-64

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Daniel Horton was determined to help Michigan beat Illinois.
Horton scored 25 of his career-high 39 points in the second half, rallying Michigan to a 72-64 victory over No. 8 Illinois on Tuesday night.
"I just wanted to do what it took to win," said Horton, who shot 13-for-20 from the field -- including 5-for-7 on 3-pointers. "I gotta give my teammates all the credit. I shot well but I never really felt in a groove because there weren't any tough shots. I was open most of the time."
Horton was instrumental in jump-starting the Wolverines' struggling offense early in the second half. After trailing 34-30 at the break, Michigan hit five straight 3-pointers -- including three by Horton -- to take the lead.
"He was phenomenal," Michigan forward Graham Brown said. "Without him, we wouldn't have been anywhere near them. Tonight, he had it right from the start.
The Illini twice tied the score, the last at 57-all with 5:46 remaining. The Wolverines maintained control and built a 64-60 lead with 64 seconds left.
James Augustine pulled Illinois within 66-64 on two free throws with 45.7 seconds to play. However, Horton sealed the win by hitting six free throws in the final 43 seconds.
"(Horton's) courage, his will and the way he put us on his back offensively was a brilliant, brilliant game for us," said Michigan coach Tommy Amaker who got his first win against Illinois after losing the first 12 matchups against the Illini -- including his time at Seton Hall.
Courtney Sims added 11 points for the Wolverines (18-7, 8-6 Big Ten), the only team to top 70 points against Illinois this season. Last month, Michigan lost 79-74 against the Fighting Illini at Champaign.
The Wolverines snapped an 11-game losing streak against Illinois, dating back to January 2000, and beat a ranked opponent for the third time in less than a month. Michigan defeated then-No. 11 Michigan State and then-No. 23 Wisconsin in late January.
Augustine scored 23 points and Dee Brown added 20 for the Illini (22-5, 8-5) who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Three of Illinois' five losses have come on the road.
"The start of the second half is the key to the game," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "We let them get three or four wide-open 3-pointers. We don't hustle back. We don't switch and no one tells anybody. When that happens, you give a team a chance to run. We could never recover."
Weber said he was especially disappointed in Illinois' defense against Horton.
"He just got in one of those grooves and just got going," Weber said. "It seemed like everything he was throwing up there was going in. When he missed, you were surprised."
Michigan played without starters Lester Abram (sprained ankle) and Chris Hunter (knee injury). Reserve Amadou Ba sat out against Illinois and will sit out half of the Feb. 25 game at Ohio State for being involved in an altercation with a fan before last weekend's game at Michigan State.

Huskies survive Fighting Irish rally, prevail in overtime

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun had that sick feeling in his gut.

His third-ranked Huskies were headed toward an apparent rout of unranked Notre Dame on Tuesday night when it suddenly unraveled.

The Fighting Irish showed why they were the best 3-point shooting team in the conference and hit four 3s in a 25-2 run to erase a 19-point second half deficit in a hurry. The Irish had their first lead at 61-60 midway through the half and Calhoun quickly called a timeout to gather his shaken team.

"They were stunned. It happened so quick," he said. "We shut the engine off and stopped playing."

Then it was the Huskies' turn to rely on their strength -- the inside game. UConn finished with a Big East record 19 blocks, pounded the ball inside down the stretch and afer Marcus Williams' bank shot sent the game into overtime, the Huskies escaped with a 75-74 win.

Silenced by the Notre Dame's rally, the sellout Hartford Civic Center crowd of 16,294 was deafening in the overtime period.

"(Notre Dame) had every right to win that game just as much as we did," Calhoun said. "We had to will our way back in. Thank God it was here at the Civic Center. I'm not sure we could win that game on the road."

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Williams finished with a triple-double for UConn, which sent Notre Dame to yet another close loss. The Fighting Irish (13-11, 4-9 Big East) lost by an average of 4.3 points in their previous 10 defeats and are now 1-6 against ranked teams this season.

Hilton Armstrong blocked seven shots and hit a pair of free throws late in overtime to put UConn ahead. Rudy Gay came down with a key defensive rebound as time expired, helping the Huskies (24-2, 11-2) hang on after blowing the big lead.

Williams finished with 18 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for the sixth triple-double in school history and first since Emeka Okafor in December 2003 against Army. His 10th rebound was the most important. With time running out in regulation, Williams scooped up a miss from Gay along the baseline and banked in a runner to tie it at 71 and send the game into overtime.

"I saw it was kind of long, so I tried to just drift to the other side," Williams said. "I've never had 10 rebounds. Ever. I never had 10 rebounds shooting by myself."

Williams was flawless in the first half with 15 points, nine assists, six boards and no turnovers to help the Huskies to a 48-32 lead at the break. They got there easily, shooting nearly 46 percent from the floor. The Fighting Irish, as it turned out, were just getting started.

Chris Quinn started the rally with a bank shot with 15 minutes left in regulation and Colin Falls scored 12 points in the 25-2 spurt. His baseline layup gave the Irish their first lead at 61-60 with 10:35 to play.

UConn relied on its size inside to come back. Josh Boone scored on a pair of putbacks and grabbed a couple of boards on the defensive end. The Huskies bought time with Williams' bank shot at the end of regulation.

Neither team scored until Gay hit a jumper with 1:41 left in the extra period. Rob Kurz countered with a 3-pointer and the Irish regained the lead 74-73. Armstrong was fouled on UConn's next possession and hit both free throws to close out the scoring.

Chris Quinn, who finished with 13 points for Notre Dame, gave the Irish one final chance. He threw up a floater in traffic and Gay came down with the rebound.

"Connecticut made some big plays when they had to," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "I'll go to bed with that Chris Quinn runner for the rest of my life and play the law of averages. We did not get it."

Boone had 12 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks for UConn. Gay added 17 points and three blocked shots.

It was UConn's first overtime game this season and the fourth for the Irish, who have lost them all. Notre Dame also lost by three at Pittsburgh, two at Marquette, two against Villanova and one at West Virginia.

Falls, who shot 5-of-14 from 3-point range, finished with 23 points for Notre Dame. Rick Cornett scored 12 before fouling out in the closing minutes.

The Huskies outrebounded the Irish 56-46. Notre Dame, the best 3-point shooting team in the conference, finished 10-of-28 from beyond the arc.

UConn concluded its regular season at the Civic Center 10-0 and snapped Notre Dame's three-game winning streak.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win a basketball game against a very good team," Brey said. "For our group, there is no more resilient basketball team than my guys."


AP NEWS
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