NCAA Tournament wrap-up

From The Associated Press

UCLA holds off Western Kentucky

PHOENIX—Nothing comes easy for UCLA these days.

With Kevin Love scoring a career-high 29 points, the Bruins nearly frittered away a 21-point halftime lead and hung on to defeat Western Kentucky 88-78 in the NCAA West Region on Thursday night.

Top-seeded UCLA (34-3) will play No. 3-seeded Xavier on Saturday for a trip to its third consecutive Final Four.

Love also had 14 rebounds. He hit 10-of-14 shots from the floor and helped rescue the Bruins for the second time in as many games.

Love wasn't the only Bruin to notch a double-double. James Keefe had 18 points and 12 rebounds, both career highs, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Tyrone Brazelton scored 31 points — 25 in the second half — and Courtney Lee added 18 for 12th-seeded Western Kentucky (29-7).

Louisville's defense stops Tennessee 79-60

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Louisville's suffocating defense has coach Rick Pitino a step away from a sixth trip to the Final Four.

Earl Clark scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds, and Pitino's mix of defenses made life miserable for Tennessee in a 79-60 victory Thursday night to put the third-seeded Cardinals in the East Regional final.

Pitino, who has won two NCAA titles and has taken three schools to the Final Four, has Louisville playing its best basketball of the season when it counts most. After Louisville's two blowout wins last weekend, Pitino's signature zone and pressure limited the high-scoring Volunteers to 34-percent shooting. The veteran coach improved to 8-0 in regional semifinals and secured a date with top-seed North Carolina on Saturday night.

Terrence Williams and Andre McGee each added 13 points and David Padgett had 10 points and eight rebounds for Louisville (27-8), which nearly blew all of a 16-point first half lead, only to take control midway through the second half and keep alive its hopes for a second Final Four berth in four years.

Hansbrough, Tar Heels blow out Washington St.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—North Carolina went from running it up to locking it down. Now the Tar Heels are a step away from the Final Four again, hoping they can avoid another collapse like last year.

Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half Thursday night and the top-seeded Tar Heels, not known for their defense, held Washington State to 32-percent shooting in a 68-47 win in the East Regional semifinals.

North Carolina, back in the NCAA round of eight for the second straight season, is a win away from its 17th trip to the Final Four. The Tar Heels are tied with UCLA for most all-time.

Danny Green had 15 points to help the Tar Heels (35-2) set a school record for victories in a season while continuing their dominant tournament run. The No. 1 overall seed will play the Louisville-Tennessee winner Saturday with a clear home-court advantage, playing in an arena located about two hours from its Chapel Hill campus.

North Carolina improved to 24-1 in NCAA games played in its home state, including 7-0 in Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The 47 points were the fewest allowed by the Tar Heels in an NCAA game since 1946, especially impressive after a season in which Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams constantly implored his team to step up its defensive intensity.

Raymond leads Xavier to round of eight

PHOENIX—Three-pointers saved Xavier. Missed free throws doomed West Virginia.

B.J. Raymond made two 3-pointers in the last 1:18 of overtime Thursday night and the Musketeers advanced to the West Region final with a 79-75 victory over coach Bob Huggins' Mountaineers.

Third-seeded Xavier (30-6) rallied from a six-point deficit in overtime, and will seek its first Final Four appearance when it plays the UCLA-Western Kentucky winner on Saturday.

Raymond, who had made only one field goal all night, hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Musketeers ahead 75-74 with 1:18 to play. He then shook loose on an inbounds play, took a crosscourt pass and made a 3 with the shot clock expiring with 30 seconds to go for a 78-74 lead.

Josh Duncan scored a career-high 26 points despite foul trouble to lead Xavier. Raymond's eight points all came in overtime.

Xavier, which led by 18 early in the game, rallied from a 71-65 deficit in overtime.