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Sky’s The Limit Bruins, Tar Heels Reach Final Four; East, Midwest Finalists Play Today

Associated Press

Inside the raucous UCLA locker room, the hugging went on and on, fathers and sons embracing as if the burden of a whole generation had suddenly been lifted.

There was Tyus Edney’s dad. Marques Johnson, a member of UCLA’s last championship team and father of freshman guard Kris Johnson, was there. So was Ed O’Bannon Sr., father of Ed Jr. and Charles, the power up front.

Fifteen years after its last Final Four appearance - and 20 years since its last NCAA title UCLA left Connecticut breathless in a 102-96 victory Saturday to capture the West Regional in Oakland, Calif.

The Bruins were joined in the Final Four by North Carolina, which defeated Kentucky 74-61 to win the Southeast Regional.

The last two spots in Seattle will be decided today, when Massachusetts meets Oklahoma State in the East and Virginia plays Arkansas in the Midwest.

UCLA’s Edney was a gold-and-blue blur, scoring 22 points and passing for 10 assists, and freshman shooting guard Toby Bailey came up with his finest all-around game with a season-high 26 points.

Swamped by their fans in a celebration on the floor of the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the Bruins responded by hugging them and one another before going through the traditional ritual of climbing a ladder to clip the net.

“Just being able to step on that ladder was big for me,” All-American Ed O’Bannon said.

In Birmingham, Ala., Jerry Stackhouse hadn’t smiled all week. Even when North Carolina had clinched yet another Final Four berth with a victory over Kentucky, he was pushing teammates wearing Southeast Regional champion T-shirts toward the lockerroom.

After scoring 18 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and handing out six assists, Stackhouse was told he actually looked mean all week.

“I can smile now,” he said, breaking up himself and the group around him.

So can North Carolina, which is headed to the Final Four for the 10th time under coach Dean Smith and for the first time since winning the national title in 1993.