Wildcats Strike Against Kansas

Kansas was the best team in the country during the regular season. The NCAA tournament was another matter.

Arizona, avenging a loss to the Jayhawks in last year’s tournament, took control with superior quickness and withstood a barrage of three-point baskets to stun Kansas, 85-82, on Friday in the semifinals of the Southeast Regional.

Kansas (34-2), trailing by 10 with less than two minutes remaining, made three consecutive three-point shots to move within 83-82 with 21.1 seconds left.

After Mike Bibby made two free throws for Arizona with 18.2 seconds remaining, Kansas had a chance to send the game to overtime. But all three attempts from three-point range were off target, the last coming when All-American Raef LaFrentz rebounded a miss under the basket, dribbled to the corner and fired up a shot that bounced off the front of the rim as time ran out.

The fourth-seeded Wildcats (22-9) advance to the regional final Sunday against the Tennessee Chattanooga-Providence winner.