Kemba Walker scored a game-high 18 points and Connecticut held Kentucky scoreless for more than 5½ minutes late in the second half en route to a 56-55 victory in the NCAA tournament semifinals Saturday in Houston.

The Huskies (31-9) will go for their third national title (1999, 2004) when they face Butler (28-9) on Monday night.

Walker also had a game-high seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Kentucky (29-9) trailed 54-52 and had a chance to tie or win in the final seconds, but Brandon Knight couldn’t penetrate and DeAndre Liggins missed a long 3-pointer. Following two free throws by Shabazz Napier, Knight hit a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Knight led the Wildcats with 17 points, but shot 6 of 23 from the field.

It was 48-all after the Wildcats’ Doron Lamb sank a jumper with 7:19 left, but Kentucky didn’t score again until Liggins hit a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining to cut the deficit to 54-51.

Liggins made one of two free throws on the next possession, and when Knight stole the ball from Napier with 16 seconds left, the Wildcats had their chance. But UConn's defense kept Knight out of the lane, and he dished to Liggins for the fateful miss.

The Huskies led 31-21 after closing the first half on a 10-2 run, but the Wildcats opened the second half with a 14-2 spurt, and it was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way.

Kentucky reached the Final Four for the first time since its 1998 national title.