ANAHEIM, Calif. – Derrick Williams scored a career-high 32 points and his Arizona teammates showed they’re not just a one-man team, upsetting defending national champion Duke 93-77 Thursday night to reach the final eight for the first time since 2005.

The top-seeded Blue Devils (32-5) were sent packing from a regional semifinal for the second time in three years. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, with 900 wins, will have to wait until next season to resume his pursuit of Bob Knight’s record as the winningest men’s coach in Division I history.

Williams scored 25 of his points in the first half before his teammates came up big in the final 20 minutes. Lamont Jones added 16 points and Solomon Hill 13.

Williams had 13 rebounds to help his team dominate the boards, 40-27, while playing 15 minutes from his hometown of La Mirada.

Fifth-seeded Arizona (30-7) will play Connecticut (29-9) on Saturday in the West Regional final.

Duke’s Kryie Irving scored 28 points in his most minutes since returning at the start of the NCAA tournament after missing 26 games with a toe injury. Kyle Singler added 18 as one of three Blue Devils in second-half foul trouble. Nolan Smith was held to eight points — well under the senior’s 21-point average.

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Down by six points early in the second half, the Wildcats unleashed a scoring rampage that left the Blue Devils looking stunned.

Williams scored just two points during the 19-2 run while five of his teammates did the rest, hitting from long-range, driving to the basket and scoring off a fast break. Jones’ basket tied the game at 53 and the spurt ended with Arizona leading 66-55. Jones and Jamelle Horne had five points each.

Horne’s dunk extended Arizona’s lead to 77-63 as the Wildcats’ fans roared, thrilled to see their team making a deep run in the tournament a season after the school’s 25-year streak of consecutive appearances ended.

CONNECTICUT 74, SAN DIEGO STATE 67: Kemba Walker sliced up San Diego State’s defense to make shots from all angles and distances in the second half of Connecticut’s West regional semifinal.

Walker scored 36 points in yet another dynamic postseason performance, driving UConn down the stretch in Anaheim, Calif

“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.”

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Freshman Jeremy Lamb added a season-high 24 points and hit a clutch 3-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 3-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 has been streaking ever since its regular season ended with four losses in five games. Walker, their fearless playmaker from the Bronx who’s generously listed at 6-foot-1, drove them to the Big East tournament title with five wins in five days.

BUTLER 61, WISCONSIN 54: Defense is always a feature of Wisconsin games. Usually it’s the Badgers’ defense that stars, but Wisconsin shot .298 from the floor as the Bulldogs continued their second improbable NCAA run in New Orleans.

Matt Howard scored 20 points and added 12 rebounds to lead Butler, which played for the national title last year.

 


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