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WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Caron Butler did what Donyell Marshall could not in Connecticut's basketball history. Butler drained five key free throws in the final 11 seconds as No. 2 Connecticut held on for a 77-74 victory over seventh-seeded North Carolina State in second round of the East Region. Marshall missed two free throws at the end of regulation in the regional semifinals and Connecticut fell to Florida in 1994. That memory haunted Huskies' fans but Butler proved to be clutch on Sunday. Connecticut (26-6) was ahead, 72-71, with 47 seconds left and looked to milk the shot clock. Butler eventually went up for a 3-pointer but he was fouled by Wolfpack freshman Julius Hodge with 11 seconds to go. Butler calmly drained all three foul shots for a four-point cushion before NC State's freshman Ilian Evtimov responded with a 3-pointer. Butler was fouled again and made both for the three-point edge with three seconds remaining. NC State (23-11) threw the inbounds in to Hodge and he took two dribbles before launching an off-balance 3-pointer from 30 feet away. It hit the back rim and bounced away. Butler poured in 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Connecticut, which won its 11th straight game. |
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