Man's best main event: Bulldogs & Huskies advance to title game

Shelvin Mack scored 24 points, Zach Hahn, who came up big off the bench scoring all eight of his points during a 90-second span in the second half in Butler’s 70-62 victory over #11 VCU. The #8 Bulldogs (28-9) of the Horizon League move on to their 2nd straight national championship game this Monday night as the lowest-seeded team to play for the title since Villanova won it as a #8 seed in 1985.

The defense—and the big night by Mack—made up for a lackluster showing by leading scorer and rebounder Matt Howard. The senior had 17 points, but shot just 3-of-10.

Butler clamped down on the Rams, not allowing another field goal for more than three minutes. Meanwhile Mack, who earned most outstanding player honors in the Southeast Regional, showed off his dazzling skills yet again. He made back-to-back 3-pointers and then a layup to give Butler a 52-45 lead with 9:41 to play, and the game was all but over.




Kemba Walker scored 18 points to lift #3 UConn to its 10th straight victory since finishing off a .500 Big East regular season, a 56-55 win over cold-shooting #4 Kentucky that moved the Huskies a victory away from their third, and most improbable, NCAA title.

The Kentucky Wildcats (29-9) shot 33.9 percent for the game and went 5:39 without a point late in the second half. UConn wasn’t much better, but Walker, Alex Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier all made baskets to turn a 48-48 tie into a 54-48 lead with 2:29 left.

Napier made two free throws to make it 56-52, then Knight ended the game with a 3-pointer at the buzzer—a meaningless make and a cruel close to what has otherwise been a remarkable season for Calipari and Co.—Kentucky’s first trip to the Final Four since winning it all in 1998.

Now the Huskies' attention turn to the Butler Bulldogs this Monday night in Houston for the NCAA national championship. The game is set to begin at 9 pm ET, live from Reliant Stadium.