Wrath of UConn Is Felt in Overtime

WASHINGTON — After lapse upon lapse in this NCAA tournament, Connecticut was seemingly down to its very last gasp.

On the verge of being upset by Washington, Connecticut showed why this team laden with NBA-caliber talent is still the favorite to win the NCAA championship.

It took an off-balance three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in regulation by Rashad Anderson to get Connecticut to overtime.

In the extra period, it took a steal and two free throws by Marcus Williams with 11 seconds left to keep Washington from having a chance to win in the final seconds.

With that final burst, top-seeded Connecticut won in overtime, 98-92, to advance to the Washington, D.C., Regional final against 11th-seeded George Mason on Sunday for a berth in the Final Four.

“It was an incredible game fought by two teams who gave everything they possibly could,” Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun said after a game that ended a few minutes before 1 a.m. EST. “I don’t know if either team could have gone another minute.”

His praise for Washington was effusive.

“They could get to the Final Four with their effort,” Calhoun said. “No one’s done quite what they did to us.”

Washington, ahead by 11 points in the second half, helped fluster Connecticut into 26 turnovers.

“In regulation, we probably made some of the most bonehead plays we made all season, including myself,” Williams said. “But we made the plays when we had to.”

Washington (26-7) made a crucial miscue late in regulation.

Trailing by four with 22 seconds left, Connecticut looked for a shot outside and then gave the ball to Williams, who drove the lane for a layup --and was fouled by Mike Jensen on the play.

When Williams made the free throw after Jensen’s foul, Washington’s lead was only one.

Brandon Roy made the lead three again by making two free throws with 7.9 seconds left for an 82-79 lead, leaving Connecticut with a chance to tie.

Williams passed to Anderson, and Anderson -- who already has “guaranteed” his team will win a national championship -- made the shot.

“I just knew if he gave me the ball I was going to knock it down and we weren’t going to lose this game, no matter what,” Anderson said.

It was Anderson (19 points) who helped bring Connecticut back from behind, by making two of his five three-pointers in quick succession to trim the lead.

Though he comes off the bench now, Anderson was enough of a standout during Connecticut’s 2004 NCAA title run to make the Final Four all-tournament team.

But last season, hospitalized with a life-threatening infection in his leg, he missed seven games.

In a pinch, he is still one of UConn’s stalwarts.

Connecticut (30-3) trailed by five with 1:16 left in regulation, and won.

In overtime, Connecticut led by five with 24 seconds left, then had to hang on. Washington’s Ryan Appleby made a three-pointer with 17 seconds left to cut the lead to 94-92, then stole the inbounds pass, seemingly giving Washington a chance to win.

But Joel Smith’s crosscourt pass meant for Roy was picked off by Williams, and Roy had no choice but to foul him.

Williams, who scored 26 points, made two free throws for a four-point lead that Washington couldn’t overcome, and Craig Austrie made two more free throws with one second left for the final margin.

It was another close call for Connecticut, which opened the NCAA tournament with a scare against 16th-seeded Albany, trailing by 12 before winning.

For Washington, led by Jamaal Williams’ career-high 27 points off the bench and Roy’s 20 points, it was a remarkable effort.

“I’m going to state the obvious: That was a great college basketball game that was played,” Washington Coach Lorenzo Romar said. “I’m so proud of our guys that they can’t look back and say if only I tried a little harder.

“We came close, it’s something they’ll be thinking about all their lives. We didn’t do it, and we’ll hold our heads high.”