Kansas needs late stand to hold off Curry, Davidson

With the win, the Jayhawks (35-3) became the fourth top seed to advance to the Final Four along with UCLA, North Carolina and Memphis, signaling the first time that has happened in the NCAA Tournament.

Brandon Rush added 12 points, including two free throws that capped a 12-2 run and gave Kansas a 59-53 advantage with 1:15 remaining. The Jayhawks did not score again, and needed a last-second defensive stand to hold off the Wildcats.

Stephen Curry scored 25 points for Davidson (29-7), but could not get off a shot in the closing moments as Kansas swarmed him. Instead, Jason Richards took a desperation 3-pointer from well above the key that just missed the left side of the rim as the buzzer sounded.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self, who had been 0-4 in previous appearances in a regional final - including two with Kansas - knelt to the floor in relief when the game ended.

The missed shot ended a magical run for the Wildcats, who was attempting to be the second double-digit seed in the last three years to reach the national semifinals along with George Mason.

The chances looked good that Curry and Davidson could reach the pinnacle for "mid-major" programs, especially after taking a 49-45 lead on a 3-pointer by Bryant Barr with 9:35 remaining.

It was the third basket from the arc in a span of just under 2 1/2 minutes for Barr, who scored all 11 of his points after the break.

Kaun's layup cut that deficit to two points with 8:51 left, but Curry answered back with a jumper.

Yet, the Wildcats could not hold on and the Jayhawks eventually wore them down inside.

A layup by Chalmers cut Kansas' deficit to 51-49 with 7:17 to play and Sherron Collins gave the Big 12 power the lead for good moments with a 3-pointer with 6:35 remaining.

Collins was off the mark on another jumper with less than 2 1/2 minutes to play, but Kaun grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He split two free throws for a 57-53 lead.

Davidson then had a golden opportunity to retake the lead with under 90 seconds left after Richards stripped the ball from Collins and found Curry open on the left wing for a 3-pointer in transition.

However, Curry, who finished 4-of-16 from the arc, missed the shot and Rush grabbed the rebound and was fouled. The junior guard made both free throws for a six-point lead.

Despite Curry's miss, the Wildcats made another surge, with Thomas Sander hitting a free throw and Curry burying a 3-pointer off an inbounds with 54 seconds to play after the Jayhawks could not come up with the rebound off a missed free throw by Sander.

Kansas then struggled on its final possession and Collins was forced to rush a 3-point attempt from the top of the key as the shot clock wound down. He hit the left side of the rim and Russell Robinson could not chase down the rebound, giving Davidson a chance for the final shot.

In a questionable move, Curry brought the ball upcourt and got a screen to the left of the key by Sander. However, the sophomore guard could not find a shot and made his way over to the right wing before eventually passing the ball to Richards as the Jayhawks' defenders surrounded him.

Curry finished 9-of-25 from the field and failed to score at least 30 points for the first time in the tournament as Davidson saw its 25-game winning streak snapped.

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