National semifinal: SAN ANTONIO -- The Kentucky Wildcats picked up where they left off last season, beating Stanford 86-85 in an overtime thriller Saturday to advance to the Final Four championship game for the third straight year.

Kentucky got the job done this time with the slick 27-point shooting of Jeff Sheppard and moved within one victory of its seventh national title.

Champions two years ago and runners-up to Arizona last year under Rick Pitino, the Wildcats' return to the title game came with a team that Tubby Smith inherited but shaped into his own.

Elite Eight: ST. LOUIS -- Arthur Lee, the little guy on a huge team, carried Stanford to the Final Four for the first time in five decades.

In a riveting comeback, Stanford unraveled Rhode Island's dream season as Lee scored 13 of his 26 points in the final 2:04 and made a steal that led to a critical basket.

The third-seeded Cardinal rallied from a six-point deficit with 59 seconds left to beat the No. 8 seed 79-77 for the Midwest Regional title.

Sweet 16: ST. LOUIS -- Even with a 7-footer who was a non-factor, Stanford had more than enough size to topple Purdue.

When Tim Young drew his third foul and sat down with 6:41 left in the first half, it actually was the takeoff point for the No. 3 seed Cardinal. Stanford finished the first half on a 17-2 run and held on for a 67-59 victory over the second-seeded Boilermakers in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Second round: CHICAGO -- Stanford's size and a game-swaying technical foul that became a seven-point possession helped the Cardinal win a trip back to the NCAA tournament's round of 16.

Arthur Lee scored 24 points and Stanford had a 41-25 rebounding edge Sunday to overcome Western Michigan's quickness and beat the Broncos 83-65 in the Midwest Regional.

Tim Young, the Cardinal's 7-foot-1 center, scored 19 points and had 13 rebounds and forward Mike Madsen added 19 points and 10 rebounds as Stanford (28-4) matched the school record for most victories in a season.

First round: CHICAGO -- Just when it seemed the College of Charleston would pull off another first-round upset, Stanford was saved by Mark Madsen inside and Ryan Mendez on the perimeter.

Madsen had 16 points and 17 rebounds and Mendez made two big 3-pointers, including the tiebreaking basket with 3:05 to play Friday, as third-seeded Stanford defeated 14th-seeded Charleston 67-57 in the NCAA Midwest Regional.