Kentucky's Andrew Harrison protects the ball from Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson Saturday night. (Getty)
Final Score
Kentucky 31 – 37 — 68
Notre Dame 31 – 35 — 66
Now that was close.
But close still counts.
Andrew Harrison hit 2 free throws to break a tie with 6 seconds left as top-seeded Kentucky remained undefeated and advanced to the Final Four with a thrilling 68-66 victory over No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday night.
The Wildcats improved to 38-0. Notre Dame finished the season 32-6.
UK gets Wisconsin, 85-78 winners over Arizona in the West Regional final, next Saturday, April 4, in Indianapolis in one national semifinal.
This is Kentucky’s fourth Final Four in 5 years.
Karl-Anthony Towns led UK with 25 points, while Devon Booker added 10.
Zach Auguste had 20 points and 9 rebounds to pace the Irish. Steve Vasturia scored 16 points and Jerian Grant added 15.
Click here for the complete boxscore.
Live Game Updates
Second Half Notes & Stats
– Karl-Anthony Towns’ layup tied the score at 66 with 1:14 left in the game.
– Jerian Grant’s deep 3 gave the Irish a 66-64 lead with 2:24 remaining.
– Aaron Harrison nailed a 3 from well beyond the stripe to give UK a 64-63 lead with 2:48 left.
– ND used a 7-2 run to take a 6-point lead (59-53) with 6:10 left.
– Through the first 12 minutes of the 2nd half, UK had made just 1 of 5 free throws.
– At the 11:15 mark of the 2nd half, both teams had made just 2 3-pointers apiece in the game.
– With 14:24 remaining, there were 10 ties and 14 lead changes.
First Half Notes & Stats
– FG Shooting: Kentucky – 10 for 27 (37 percent); Notre Dame – 13 for 28 (46.4)
– FT Shooting: Kentucky – 10 for 12 (83.3); Notre Dame – 4 for 4 (100)
– Rebounds: Kentucky – 18 (8 offensive); Notre Dame – 15 (5 offensive)
– Assists: Kentucky – 4; Notre Dame 8
– Steals: Kentucky 4; Notre Dame 4
– Blocks: Kentucky 6; Notre Dame 1
– Turnovers: Kentucky 7; Notre Dame 6
– Fouls: Kentucky 5; Notre Dame 7
– With 3:10 remaining, UK was 6 for 7 from the line, ND made its only attempt.
– With 7:46 left in the first half, the Irish had the assist edge 7-3.
– There were 6 lead changes in the first 9 minutes of the game.
– At the second timeout (11:48 left), Notre Dame was 5 of 9 from the field, UK 5 for 10.
– At the first official timeout, both teams were playing sloppy with 3 turnovers apiece.
Leading Scorers & Stats
Kentucky
Karl-Anthony Towns – 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Devon Booker – 10 points
Trey Lyles – 9 points, 5 rebounds
Willie Cauley-Stein – 6 points, 4 rebounds
Andrew Harrison – 7 points
Aaron Harrison – 6 points
Notre Dame
Zach Auguste – 20 points, 9 rebounds
Steve Vasturia – 16 points
Jerian Grant – 15 points, 6 assists
Pat Connaughton – 8 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
Bonzie Colson – 5 points
Live Game Video Highlights
Preview: Kentucky Looks to Stay Perfect vs. Notre Dame With a Final 4 Trip on the Line
So far, still so good for Kentucky.
The No. 1 Wildcats have dominated in the NCAA Tournament and sit at 37-0, a win away from their second-consecutive Final Four.
The challenge Saturday night? A confident Notre Dame squad. The No. 3 Irish have not breezed through the competition like UK, but N.D. is hot, winning 8 straight and 11 of 12.
The Wildcats come in with a smothering defense; they just held West Virginia to 39 points on 24 percent shooting.
But the Irish can put up the points, averaging 78.8 per game, which is 12th-best in the country.
The winner gets Wisconsin, which defeated Arizona 85-78 to win the West Regional, on Saturday, April 4, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Keep it here for live updates throughout the game.
