updated 4:58 a.m. ET March 25, 2006

WASHINGTON - Connecticut did everything it could to give the game away with a season-high 26 turnovers, the final one coming with the Huskies clutching a two-point lead, seconds away from victory.

The top seed got away with it. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, a crazy sequence or two decided a game that was sometimes miserable to watch and occasionally downright laughable.

Connecticut rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit, got a break on an opponent’s silly foul and forced overtime on Rashad Anderson’s 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in regulation. Then the Huskies of the Big East held off the foul-depleted Huskies from the Pac-10 in the extra period for a 98-92 victory and a place in the NCAA’s round of eight.

“Of 1,100 basketball games I’ve been fortunate to be involved with, I’ve never been involved in anything like that,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said.

And, to be sure, he hopes he never sees the likes of it again. Marcus Williams, who committed seven turnovers and got an earful from the coach during a first-half timeout, recovered to score a career-high 26 points as Connecticut advanced to regional finals for the sixth time in 12 years. UConn (30-3) will play for a spot in the Final Four on Sunday against 11th-seeded George Mason.

Calhoun warned on Thursday that his Huskies were “a team of lapses,” and was he ever prophetic. UConn committed nine turnovers during a miserable 5½-minute spell at the start of the second half, but Washington was unable to take full advantage.

“We probably made some of the most boneheaded plays we’ve made all season,” Williams said.

But the game hinged on two wild series of events. Washington led by 78-72 with 1:53 to play in regulation — and 80-76 with 21 seconds left — and obviously no longer wanted to foul, but Mike Jensen was whistled for contact on Williams on a layup with 11 seconds remaining. The shot went in, and Williams made the free throw for a three-point play that made it a one-point game.

“We did not want to foul him,” coach Lorenzo Romar said. “We wanted to try to keep him in front of us. Obviously that was a big play, and the game seemed like it was definitely going to go our way.”

Washington’s Brandon Roy was then fouled and made two free throws with 7.9 seconds remaining. That made it a three-point game, and there was time enough left for Anderson to launch the game-tying shot, a basket Calhoun called “miraculous” and “one of the best shots we’ve had in a very long time.”

MEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS Friday’s games MINNEAPOLIS REGIONAL Florida 57, Georgetown 53 Villanova 60, Boston College 59, OT WASHINGTON D.C. REGIONAL Connecticut 98, Washington 92, OT George Mason 63, Wichita State 55

Then came the giveaway-giveaway finish in overtime. Rudy Gay, taking the ball out of bounds with UConn leading by two and 16 seconds remaining, committed his team’s 26th turnover when his inbounds pass was intercepted by Ryan Appleby. But Appleby passed to Joel Smith, who threw the ball right back to UConn. Williams picked off the pass, was fouled, and then made both free throws with 11.3 seconds to play.

“We made every possible bad play that we could, and that has a lot to do with Washington,” Calhoun said.

MORE FROM COLLEGE BASKETBALL

College basketball Section Front

Utah shoots, and scores Opinion: Donovan has no problem recruiting young Norm Stewart recovering from heart surgery   Sound off in our message boards Full coverage of every men's team Full coverage of every women's team MORE ON COLLEGE BASKETBALL College basketball Section Front   Add College basketball headlines to your news reader: