Connecticut was able to get past San Diego St. in the Sweet 16 Thursday night, and all it took was a couple career-best performances.
Kemba walker scored 36 points -- his second-highest total this season -- with 22 of them coming in the second half and freshman Jeremy Lamb tied his season-high with 24 points to propel the No. 3 seed Huskies over the No. 2 Aztecs, 74-67. The win puts UConn into the Elite Eight for the 10th time in its history, where it will face No. 5 Arizona on Saturday, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
The win over SDSU was UConn's eighth straight -- and the Huskies' eighth win in just 17 days, thanks to a five-game run in the 2011 Big East Tournament.
"This run has been sensational, and I haven't yet been able to put it in perspective," Calhoun said. "I couldn't have asked for a better gift than this team, and then we get this. I don't remember anything quite like this. This is different. This team genuinely believes in themselves and each other. I hate to say this, but this is an old-fashioned team."
For San Diego St., the loss ends their season, the best in the program's history at 34-3. After the game, Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said, "When your season comes to a screeching halt, like it will for every team with one exception, it hurts."
For more on UConn's tournament run, visit The UConn Blog.
Elite Eight - Saturday, March 25
4:30 p.m., No. 2 Florida Gators vs. No. 8 Butler Bulldogs, CBS (Johnson/Elmore/Miller/Snider)
7:05 p.m., No. 3 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 5 Arizona Wildcats, CBS (Lundquist/Raftery/Visser)
----------
Visit our our NCAA hoops hub for the rest of your March Madness needs, including a 2011 NCAA Tournament Printable Bracket that's updated after each round.
Other March Madness resources:
-- 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament bracket