NEWARK, NJ -- John Calipari has restored the roar at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats back to the Final Four after a 13-year absence. Brandon Knight scored 22 points and the fourth-seeded Wildcats are headed back to college basketball's biggest stage following a 76-69 win over second-seeded North Carolina on Sunday in the East Regional final. The Wildcats (29-8) will play Connecticut in Houston on Saturday night after turning back a late surge by the Tar Heels (27-10), who erased an 11-point deficit before running out of gas in the final two minutes. DeAndre Liggins added 12 points for Kentucky, including a 3-pointer from the corner with 37 seconds remaining to help lift the Wildcats to the Final Four for the first time since 1998.
That's hardly a lengthy drought in most places. At Kentucky it's a lifetime. A season after falling a game short of the Final Four behind a roster filled with future NBA stars, the Wildcats are heading to the national semifinals for 14th time behind the heady play of Knight and the emotional leadership of senior center Josh Harrellson. Harrellson again held his own against North Carolina's bigger, more heralded front line, scoring 12 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Tyler Zeller led North Carolina with 21 points and nine rebounds, but the Tar Heels fell behind early and struggled to keep the hot-shooting Wildcats in check.
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