Spring Break
Final-ly
Kemba Walker, freshman point guard, splits two Missouri defenders prior to passing the ball to Gavin Edwards, who then immediately scored. Walker scored 23 points to lead UConn to an 82-75 win over Missouri in the NCAA West Regional Final Saturday in Gle
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Sports
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There was no ladder. There were no scissors in sight. It was a bad sign, a sign that despite everything the Huskies had put into their 30-4 campaign, they had come up just short of their goal of winning the West region and cutting down the nets.
But, as it turns out, that net clung to the rim as a matter of choice, not of force. After top-seeded UConn defeated third-seeded Missouri, 82-75, in the West Regional Final, the team made a collective decision to spare that net its life.
There is another net out there - about 745 miles from Storrs, to be exact - that the Huskies have their eyes on.
"Hopefully we'll have the chance to cut it down somewhere else," Price said.
Despite scoring 18 points for UConn, Price was helped significantly by the play of freshman Kemba Walker, who seemed to be in heaven against Missouri's "40 minutes of hell" full-court pressure. He poured in a game-high 23 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field and a 9-of-10 conversion rate from the free-throw line.
"He dominated the game," Price said. "They really couldn't press him; he was breaking the press, dribbling through two or three guys. He just played phenomenal today."
The Huskies jumped out to an early 13-2 lead, but were on their toes for much of the game, and even trailed - for the first time since falling behind 8-6 against Chattanooga in the first round - at the 13:36 mark, 50-49.
But, as Missouri coach Mike Anderson put it, "we just got stuck on 52."
The Tigers fell behind again after grabbing that brief lead, but never were able to get over the hump against the Huskies, who capitalized whenever they needed down the stretch.
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