WASHINGTON REGIONAL

NO. 1 CONNECTICUT VS. NO. 11 GEORGE MASON

* Time: 11:40 a.m. PST

* The Buzz: Connecticut’s tightrope walk toward the Final Four nearly ended in a spill Friday against Washington, when it took a three-pointer by Rashad Anderson with 1.8 seconds left to force overtime before UConn claimed a 98-92 victory. The Huskies are trying to reach the Final Four for the third time, after winning the NCAA title in 1999 and 2004. George Mason, the last mid-major standing, is in the Elite Eight for the first time and the suburban Washington school will have a sizable, though probably not overwhelming, contingent in Verizon Center. Coach Jim Larranaga guessed it would be “50-50.” This figures to be the end of a remarkable run, but if George Mason were to pull the upset to reach the Final Four, it would have done it by beating three of the last six NCAA champions in Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut.