March 7, 2002
Final Stats
By JIM O'CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK - Freshman Ben Gordon scored a season-high 23 points, including the winning 3-pointer with 11.8 seconds to play, and No. 19 Connecticut beat Villanova 72-70 Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.
The Huskies (22-6) won their seventh straight game and advanced to Friday night's semifinals against the winner of the St. John's-Notre Dame game.
Connecticut, making its ninth semifinal appearance, has won 10 of its last 12 games in the Big East tournament.
Gordon, second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game, hit the 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down to give Connecticut its first lead since 56-54 with 9:40 left.
Villanova (17-12), which beat Syracuse 78-64 in the opening round, had a final chance, but Gary Buchanan's 3-pointer, with 6-foot-9 Ekema Okafor heading right at him, bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
It was the fifth straight year the Wildcats lost in the quarterfinals of the tournament and the third time this season they lost to the Huskies.
Caron Butler had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Connecticut, while Okafor, whose free throws with one minute left brought the Huskies within 70-69, had six points and 10 rebounds.
Brooks Sales had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Villanova, while Buchanan, Ricky Wright and Reggie Bryant each had 13 points.
After Villanova took a 58-56 lead with 8:30 left on a shot in the lane by Buchanan, the Wildcats could never pull away. When they did take a five-point lead, Gordon hit consecutive jumpers to get Connecticut back within one.
Villanova went up 67-62 with 5:07 left, but Johnnie Selvie scored down low and later added two free throws to get Connecticut back within one.
Derrick Snowden, who finished with 12 points, hit a 3 with 2:50 left to make it 70-66, but those were Villanova's final points.
Gordon's free throw with 1:26 left got the Huskies within 70-67, and after Wright missed a shot down low, Okafor made his two free throws.
Bryant missed a 3 from the corner with 48 seconds left to set the stage for Gordon's game-winner.
