Team 1st 2nd Total
UCONN 38 31 69
Louisville 32 34 66
Kemba Walker capped the best five days an individual and team may have ever had in college basketball, scoring 19 points to lead Connecticut (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP) to a 69-66 victory over No. 14 Louisville in the Big East championship Saturday night.
Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, took home the most obvious MVP award in any conference tournament after leading the ninth-seeded Huskies (26-9) to five wins in as many days -- the last four over teams ranked in the Top 25 -- and the program's seventh conference title, tying Georgetown for the most in Big East history.
He finished the five games with 130 points, 46 more than the previous record. It wasn't just the points. He grabbed so many big rebounds, made so many key passes and clutch steals, all while exhibiting leadership good enough to take a team loaded with sophomores and freshmen to the championship.
The tournament title moved Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun ahead of Georgetown's John Thompson for the most in conference history with seven.
BOX SCORE
UCONN
UConn | M | FG | FT | RB | A | PF | PTS |
Olander | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Smith | 33 | 4-9 | 3-4 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
Oriakhi | 31 | 4-7 | 2-2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
Lamb | 35 | 5-11 | 2-2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
Walker | 33 | 6-14 | 7-9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 19 |
Beverly | 9 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Coombs-McDaniel | 19 | 1-5 | 2-2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Giffey | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Napier | 25 | 1-6 | 2-2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Okwandu | 9 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
TOTALS | 200 | 23-55 | 20-23 | 31 | 9 | 14 | 69 |
Three-point goals: 3-11, 27.2 (Lamb 1-1, Napier 1-3, Smith 1-3, Coombs-McDaniel 0-1, Walker 0-3). FG pct.: 41.8. FT pct.: 87.0. Team rebounds: 4. Turnovers: 14 (Walker 5, Lamb 3, Napier 3, Smith 2, Oriakhi). Blocks: 4 (Lamb 2, Smith 2). Steals: 12 (Napier 3, Walker 3, Beverly 2, Lamb, Olander).
Louisville
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Three-point goals: 7-25, 28.0 (Knowles 4-11, Kuric 2-5, Siva 1-3, Justice 0-1, Smith 0-2, Marra 0-3). FG pct.: 44.8. FT pct.: 70.0. Team rebounds: 3. Turnovers: 16 (Knowles 4, Siva 4, Smith 3, Jennings 2, Justice, Marra, Van Treese). Blocks: 3 (Knowles 2, Dieng). Steals: 7 (Knowles 3, Siva 2, Jennings, Kuric).
Technicals: None
Officials: Mike Roberts, Ed Corbett, John Gaffney
Attendance: 19,375
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