Jojo Doria

Atlanta, GA

Anthony Davis racked up 18 points, 11 boards and 6 blocks as the Kentucky Wildcats blasted the Baylor Bears, 82-70 to punch their way to their second straight Final Four appearance.

Davis, the consensus no.1 pick in the upcoming 2012 NBA Draft, lived up to the hype as he came up with dominant performance on both ends of the floor.

Davis shot 6-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line while anchoring the Wildcats defense, which allowed the Bears to just .391 percent shooting on the floor .

Kentucky also received solid minutes from starters Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (19 points), Doron Lamb (14 points), Terrence Jones (12 points, 9 boards, and 6 assists), and Marquis Teague (8 points).

After trailing the Bears, 10-5, barely five minutes into their Regional Finals showdown, the star-studded Wildcats unleashed a massive run that catapulted them to a commanding 42-22 lead at the break.

Kentucky continued to dominate the play in the second half on their way to securing their second consecutive Final Four appearance and 15th in their rich college basketball history.

Meanwhile, the Bears once again came short at cracking into the Final Four for the second time in three years, extending their drought for the National title to 64 years.

Quincy Acy tallied 22 points and 8 boards and Perry Jones III recorded 17 points and 8 boards to lead the Bears in the losing effort.

Kentucky will face archrival Louisville Cardinals in a scintillating Final Four showdown on March 31 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Kansas took the final slot in the Final Four, knocking off North Carolina 80-67.

All five Jayhawks starters pumped in double-figure scoring, lead by Tyshawn Taylor's 22 points, while Thomas Robinson added 18.

Kansas hit 46 percent of its shots and outrebounded the Tar Heels 40-30.

 

Kentucky Beats Baylor, Joins Kansas in Final Four