Walker's buzzer-beater lifts UConn over Pitt

NEW YORK - Jim Calhoun drew up a play in the Connecticut huddle that gave Kemba Walker two options for the final shot. He could either take it himself in the closing seconds against Pittsburgh, or kick it to Jamal Coombs-McDaniel if he was covered.

As soon as Walker put the ball on the floor, Calhoun knew which choice he'd made.

The star point guard used a crossover and shoulder roll to shuck his defender right to the ground, then stepped back and swished the winning basket at the buzzer, lifting the No. 21 Huskies to a 76-74 victory over the third-ranked Panthers in the Big East quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.

"The best player in my opinion for his team made another winning shot, a big-time shot," Calhoun said. "There wasn't any doubt in my mind what option it would be when he put the hard dribble down. Kemba has made a ton of big shots."

The buzzer sounded just as the ball went through the net, and freshman Shabazz Napier was the first person to grab Walker by the waist and hoist him into the air. The Huskies calmed down quickly, though, making sure nobody got hurt in the scrum.

The Huskies (24-9) have won three games in 3 days after a late-season slide sent them to the No. 9 seed in the tournament.

Walker finished with 24 points for the Huskies.

Ashton Gibbs finished 10 of 13 from the field - including 6-for-7 on three-pointers - and scored 27 points for the top-seeded Panthers (27-5), who led by 12 midway through the first half and still had the advantage most of the second half.

Brad Wanamaker finished with 17 points for Pittsburgh.

The Huskies played the second half without guard Roscoe Smith, who took an elbow to his face with 7:20 left before the break. He received eight stitches and was tested for a concussion.

In other Big East games:

* Brancon Triche had 22 points and center Fab Melo added 12 and No. 11 Syracuse (26-6) beat No. 17 St. John's, 79-73.

Dwight Hardy had 22 points for the Red Storm (21-11), which lost D.J. Kennedy to a torn ACL. He will need surgery and will miss the NCAA Tournament.

* Ben Hansbrough scored 23 points and fourth-ranked Notre Dame (26-5) dismantled one of the nation's best defenses in an 89-51 rout of No. 25 Cincinnati. Dion Dixon scored 15 points for the Bearcats (25-8).

* Mike Marra hit six three-pointers and had 22 points to lead No. 14 Louisville (24-8) to an 81-56 victory over Marquette. Jimmy Butler had 14 points for the Golden Eagles (20-14).

* The three officials cited for two errors in the final seconds of the St. John's-Rutgers game on Wednesday withdrew from the rest of the Big East Tournament.

Veteran refs Jim Burr, Tim Higgins and Earl Walton missed two calls - a travel and stepping out of bounds - in the final 1.7 seconds of St. John's 65-63 second-round victory.

The Big East acknowledged after the game the officials blew the calls. Commissioner John Marinatto said the three officials have "voluntarily withdrawn" in "the best interests of those involved."

Marinatto called the league's officials a "very dedicated and loyal group of professionals."

Burr has worked 16 Final Fours and has seven national championship games. Higgins has worked 10 Final Fours and four national championship games. Walton has never worked a Final Four. *