Hinrich and Graves rise to the challenge

28 points from Kirk Hinrich and 15 points and 13 rebounds from Jeff Graves prove to be too much for a deep and talented Arizona team to overcome, as Kansas defeated Arizona 78-75 on Saturday night.

Boxscore highlights

• A tough night for Nick Collison, as the interior defense of Arizona limited him to only 8 points and 9 boards on a night in which Collison was only able to get off 7 shots.
• Keith Langford chipped in 13 points and 3 boards, with Langford missing all of his shots from behind the arc.
• Hinrich's 28 points came on the heels of a near shutout against Duke, in which the senior guard managed only one field goal and two points for the entire previous game. Hinrich fired an amazing 17 shots from behind the 3-point line, hitting 6.
• Sophomore Michael Lee came in off the KU bench and contributed 8 points, including two crucial 3-point baskets.
• Arizona was led by ironman Jason Gardner's 23 points, hitting 6 for 15 from the floor in 40 minutes of playing time.

Notes and further info

This victory is eerily similar to a 1997 NCAA tournament game in which a poll-leading Kansas team was sent home early by a talented 'Zona team on their way to a national title.

This win vaults Kansas into the Final Four for the second consecutive season, and sets up a Final Four battle with Marquette next weekend in New Orleans. Television coverage will be provided by CBS.

• Boxscore from Yahoo! Sports
• Game recap from Yahoo! Sports

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