Sweet 36! Walker's big game lifts UConn

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- In the second half of Connecticut's West Regional semifinal Thursday night, Kemba Walker sliced up San Diego State's defense for 22 points, hitting shots from all angles and distances.

The Aztecs kept him down only once: A shoulder bump from Jamaal Franklin sent Walker crashing to the Honda Center floor, drawing a technical foul and two momentum-killing free throws.

Walker denied doing any acting on the play, saying, "The contact was definitely enough to go down." But acting or not, he's still the star of these Huskies' remarkable production.

Walker scored 36 points in yet another dynamic postseason performance, driving UConn to a 74-67 victory that put the Huskies on the brink of another Final Four. They will face Arizona Saturday in the regional final.

"I'm just trying to do the best I can do," said Walker, who scored 12 straight points for UConn in the final minutes. "Whether it's scoring, talking, getting their confidence up or giving an assist, I'm just trying to do whatever is possible to enhance this team."

Freshman Jeremy Lamb added a season-high 24 points and hit a clutch three-pointer with 1:43 left for the third-seeded Huskies (29-9), who are headed to an NCAA regional final for the 10th time after beating the Aztecs and a building full of hostile fans just 90 minutes from San Diego.

"I've never been in an environment like this," said Lamb, perfect on three three-pointers. "Kemba hit some big shots, I hit some big shots, and we were able to pull it out. They had a lot of fans. I've never played in a game like it."

UConn knocked off Bucknell and Cincinnati in the first two NCAA rounds to earn a trip into the backyard of the second-seeded Aztecs (34-3), who hadn't lost to anybody but BYU during the best season in school history.

"When your season comes to a screeching halt, like it will for every team with one exception, it hurts," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "It should hurt, regardless of when, where and how. For our team this year, for what they've accomplished, it hurts exponentially more. I could not be more proud of how we competed, how hard we played, and unfortunately we came up a bit short."

Walker outdueled Aztecs point guard D.J. Gay, who scored 16 points and trimmed UConn's second-half lead to 65-64 on a three-pointer with 2:53 to play. Lamb replied with his three, and his emphatic last-second dunk set off a celebration in the section of thoroughly outnumbered UConn fans.

"This run has been sensational, and I haven't yet been able to put it in perspective," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said. "I couldn't have asked for a better gift than this team, and then we get this. I don't remember anything quite like this. This is different. This team genuinely believes in themselves and each other. I hate to say this, but this is an old-fashioned team."

Kawhi Leonard had 12 points and nine rebounds but never dominated inside, and Billy White added 14 points for the Aztecs.

"Both teams fed off each other," Gay said. "When one team threw a punch, the other team threw a punch, back and forth . . . Starting the second half, we were down, and there was a need for me to get more aggressive offensively. We tried to speed the tempo up, get more guys open shots, but it didn't work out."