UConn takes the Big East, winning fifth game in five days

NEW YORK | Kemba Walker capped the best five days an individual and team may ever have at the Big East championship, scoring 19 points, leading No. 21 Connecticut to a 69-66 victory over No. 14 Louisville on Saturday night.
Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, took home an obvious most valuable player award after leading the ninth-seeded Huskies to five wins in as many days — the last four victories over teams ranked in the Top 25 — and the program’s seventh conference title, tying Georgetown for the most in Big East history.
He finished the five games with 130 points, 46 more than the previous record. It wasn’t just the points. He grabbed big rebounds, made key passes and clutch steals, all while exhibiting leadership good enough to take a team loaded with sophomores and freshmen to the championship.
One of those passes was to freshman Jeremy Lamb in the final minute that proved the difference-maker.
With the Huskies trailing by one, Walker drove in from the right side and passed across the lane to Lamb for a layup and the final lead change and a 65-64 edge. Louisville had two shots to tie the game and perhaps force overtime in the final four seconds.
With UConn up 67-64, Mike Marra was fouled by Walker trying a last-ditch three-pointer with 3.9 seconds to play. But he missed the second free throw, sending Huskies fans into delirium.
Likely intending to miss the third, he made it. Louisville fouled quickly and Shabazz Napier made both free throws with 3.3 seconds left. The Cards got the ball up the court quickly and Preston Knowles got a good look on a three-point shot from the right wing but it caromed off the right side of the rim.
When it was over, the crowd serenaded the Huskies star with alternate chants of “MVP!” and “Kem-ba Walk-er!”