Knight Ridder
SAN ANTONIO - The buzz from Saturday's first game, Georgia Tech's last-second victory against Oklahoma State, had yet to fade when Duke and Connecticut ran onto the court.
The buzz from the second game still might be hanging in the Alamodome air when Georgia Tech and Connecticut return Monday to play for the national championship.
Saturday was a sensational night for college basketball and an unfortunate night for Duke. The Blue Devils did almost everything right.
They played stunning perimeter defense. They went on a 30-9 first-half run, took a seven-point halftime lead and stretched it to double figures in the second half.
But Duke ran to that early lead with Emeka Okafor on the Connecticut bench. Okafor picked up two fouls little more than three minutes into the game and sat for the remainder of the half.
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His numbers at the break sounded like a Cameron Indoor Arena taunt - two fouls, one rebound and no points.
In the second half, Okafor reminded Duke and the fans and the NBA scouts that he is the best big man in college basketball and the greatest defensive presence in at least a decade.
In the second half Okafor scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. He took eight shots and made seven.
Luol Deng, Duke's wonderful freshman forward, went up for an easy slam inside. This was going to be one of those high-flying, transcontinental, you-can't-block-this dunks. You could tell.
Okafor blocked it.
A 6-foot-9 junior, Okafor is the reason Connecticut was favored to win and the reason the Huskies did win, 79-78.
Okafor scored inside twice to put Connecticut up for the first time since midway through the first half. The second basket, with 25 seconds left, gave Connecticut a 76-75 lead.
Duke gave the ball to sophomore guard J.J. Redick for the shot that would win the game. Redick drove to the basket, but was stripped of the ball.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski thought Redick was hit and angrily yelled, "Foul! Foul!"
No foul was called. Connecticut hit its free throws and at the buzzer Duke's Chris Duhon made the last basket of his college career, a three-pointer, to pull the Blue Devils within a point.
Some fans will complain that no foul was called on Redick.
But the strip was clean and consistent with the work of the officials the rest of the evening.
These teams went after each other. The Huskies had cruised into San Antonio in four easy victories. They were expected to cruise again.
But the Blue Devils reminded them who they are. Who they are is the best program in college basketball.
And what the Blue Devils and Huskies, and Yellow Jackets and Oklahoma State, did is remind one more time that semifinal Saturday is one of the greatest nights in all of sports.
