Foul trouble didn’t halt UConn on its mission to the Final Four

Steve Carp

Monday, March 22, 1999 | 10:16 a.m.

PHOENIX -- The NCAA West Regional championship game was only four minutes old and Connecticut was in trouble.

Khalid El-Amin, the Huskies' star point guard, was about to be anchored to the bench for the remainder of the first half thanks to a pair of quick personal fouls. And even though there was plenty of time remaining in the title game with upset-minded Gonzaga, it appeared once again fate was about to hand-check Jim Calhoun's team off the floor and deny it entrance to the Final Four.

During the first media timeout, Richard Hamilton, UConn's leading scorer, came over to El-Amin and checked on his well-being.

"K, whatcha got, two fouls?" Hamilton asked his teammate. When El-Amin said, "Yeah," Hamilton answered, "We'll just hold the fort till you get back."

Sure enough, El-Amin returned, though it wasn't until the second half. But even though he missed all 12 of his shots and the rest of the Huskies weren't faring a whole lot better, a healthy dose of team defense overcame UConn's offensive woes. And when it was all said and done, the Huskies were cutting down the nets at America West Arena and Gonzaga's magic carpet ride had finally come to an end.

Credit Connecticut's 67-62 win and first trip to the Final Four to the team's quality depth, clutch rebounding and the ability to stop Gonzaga's perimeter game. The Bulldogs made just 5-of-21 shots from the 3-point arc.

With El-Amin and Jake Voskuhl struggling, Ricky Moore, Kevin Freeman and Hamilton filled the void and the top-ranked Huskies punched their ticket to St. Petersburg Saturday, where they'll meet Ohio State, the surprise winner of the South. The fourth-seeded Buckeyes ousted No. 3 St. John's 77-74 in the South Regional final in Knoxville, Tenn.

In the other semifinal, top-seeded Duke, champion of the East, will face Midwest winner Michigan State, the top seed in that region, as three No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four for the second time in three years.

For Connecticut, it was a matter of finally living up to the hype. This was the fourth time Calhoun's team had made it to the doorstep of the Final Four in the '90s, only to have been rebuffed in the three previous attempts.

Saturday, the Huskies wedged their way through the door, though it wasn't decided until the final six seconds when Freeman canned a pair of free throws to give UConn a five-point lead.

"I didn't score a bucket and we still won," El-Amin said. "That shows you what kind of character this team has."

Calhoun, who was visibly moved by the accomplishment, breaking down in tears in the victorious postgame locker room, didn't want the credit to go to him.

"I'm not a better coach now than I was two hours ago," he said. "I'm tired and I'm wet.

"I feel good for our kids, our university, our state and all the players who have been in our program but never got there (to the Final Four). I didn't want this to be about Jim Calhoun going to the Final Four. Connecticut's going to the Final Four. I'm just tagging along."

The challenge to get to Tropicana Field has been there all along for this team. Even when the Huskies toured Israel last summer, there was Final Four fever.

"Ever since Aug. 9, we've had questions on whether we'd go to the Final Four," El-Amin said. "We've downplayed it all year.

"The 14 guys on this team just love to compete. We have heart, character and a winning drive."

Hamilton said: "It's a great feeling. We've been putting in the work since August."

But UConn's work is not done. Ohio State has shown an ability to beat some of the nation's best teams, including Auburn and St. John's, and Calhoun and Buckeyes coach Jim O'Brien know each other well from O'Brien's days in the Big East at Boston College.

For Connecticut to make it to Monday night, it will need to shoot the ball better than it did in Phoenix, especially in the second half. UConn was 40 percent combined from the floor in its two West Regional games during the second half. Saturday, the Huskies failed to make a 3-point shot in nine attempts.

But as long as UConn is playing defense, it will be tough to deal with. Teams have shot just 36 percent against the Huskies in the tournament.

"We have a lot of experience," backup forward Rashamel Jones said. "We brought our experience with us and got the job done."

As winners of the West, they may have officially been the first ones to earn the trip to St. Pete. But it took the Huskies longer than any of the Final Four teams to get here. Sixty years, to be precise.

But that didn't matter as the nets came tumbling down at America West Arena Saturday. The banner behind the basket said it all.

"Final Four, Finally."