NEW YORK -- DeAndre Daniels UConn teammates were going to keep passing him the ball until he cooled off. By the time that happened, it was too late for Iowa State. Daniels scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, and the Huskies hung on for an 81-76 victory Friday to reach the East Regional final a year after UConn was barred from the NCAA tournament. "DeAndres a scorer, and once you feel that you have that confidence, the next shots going to go in," said senior Shabazz Napier, who knows a thing or two about scoring himself. "We kept feeding him, and he got super hot." Daniels hit his first six shots after halftime, the only Husky to make a field goal for over 8 1/2 minutes. His 3-pointer gave seventh-seeded UConn a 49-32 lead. The third-seeded Cyclones rallied late, pulling within 67-63 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. But senior Niels Giffey hit a 3 in the corner for his first points since the games opening moments, and when the Huskies (29-8) made their free throws in the final minute, the UConn fans packing Madison Square Garden could celebrate. The Huskies will face fourth-seeded Michigan State on Sunday for a trip to the Final Four after the Spartans beat top-seeded Virginia 61-59 in the late game. Dustin Hogue scored a career-high 34 points for Iowa State (28-8), but Big 12 player of the year Melvin Ejim was 3 of 13 for seven points, more than 11 below his average. The Cyclones, in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2000, were playing their second game without third-leading scorer Georges Niang, who broke his foot in their tournament opener. They trailed by 16 with less than 7 1/2 minutes to go but nearly came all the way back behind Hogues scoring inside. "Thats who these guys are, theyre fighters," coach Fred Hoiberg said. With UConn clinging to a 70-65 lead and less than a minute left, Iowa States Naz Long missed a 3-pointer, and the 6-1 Napier pulled down the rebound and was fouled by Hogue. The guard calmly drilled both free throws. UConn was 20 of 22 from the foul line, while Iowa State was 6 of 15. Napier, the American Athletic Conference player of the year, drained four early 3-pointers, then made only one more field goal the rest of the way. But the quick start by Napier and backcourt mate Ryan Boatright opened up space for the 6-foot-9 Daniels, an inconsistent junior who can score all over the court when hes on. Since a stretch in late February and early March when he failed to reach double figures in four straight games, Daniels had averaged 15 in his last six outings before Friday. Then against Iowa State, he shot 10 of 15 and pulled down 10 rebounds. "With our seniors on this team, I just want them to go out with a bang," Daniels said. Ejim and DeAndre Kane, Iowa States top scorers, were a combined 9 of 31. But Hogue, from nearby Yonkers, found plenty of space, shooting 15 for 19. "To play in the Garden, its something I dreamed about as a kid," he said. After Napiers difficult early 3-pointers -- he was falling away on two of them and stepping back to open a sliver of space on a third -- Boatright and Daniels took over. The three combined for all but six of the Huskies points as they built a 36-26 halftime lead. Second-year coach Kevin Ollie is now 3-0 in the NCAA tournament after taking over for mentor Jim Calhoun, who gave him a big hug after this one was over. The last time UConn made it this far, the Huskies won a national title when Napier and Giffey were freshmen. The current upperclassmen could have transferred after the programs low scores on the NCAAs academic progress measure kept UConn from last years Big East and NCAA tournaments. "We were banned from a lot of things," Ollie said. "We couldnt come here for the tournament, but they werent banned from loving and pushing and encouraging each other, and thats what its all about. Those dark times, if you dont give up in the dark times, it will reverse, the wind will start going in your favour, your direction. "And I think thats whats happened now." Troy Aikman Jersey . -- A.J. Burnett was happy to escape from New York. Deion Sanders Jersey . FIFA said in a statement Friday that "several racist and discriminatory incidents were apparently perpetrated by local supporters during the match, in particular by displaying neo-Nazi banners and by making monkey noises and gestures as well as Nazi salutes. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowb...t-Smith-Jersey/. -- The anointed starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders is strengthening his hold on the position this training camp instead of losing it. Tony Pollard Jersey . A rainy day saw the former champion Djokovic handle 14th-seeded Frenchman Jo- Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) under the roof on the famed Centre Court. Tony Dorsett Womens Jersey . The actual winners on transfer deadline day are those clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City who were well prepared and managed to get their main incoming business done well ahead of the transfer window closing. Tottenham were able to add seven players by spending over 100 million pounds and also ensured maximum return for the Gareth Bale transfer to Real Madrid by managing the move superbly.BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with home run king Chris Davis for $10.35 million, avoiding arbitration. Davis led the majors last season with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs, both career highs. He earned $3.3 million. The 27-year-old Davis played in 160 games, batted .286, had 167 hits and scored 103 runs. The Orioles also reached an agreement Friday with arbitration-eligible pitchers Tommy Hunter, Bud Norris, Brian Matusz and Troy Patton. Hunter was 6-5 with a 2.81 ERA in a career-high 68 games for the Orioles last year. He will earn $3 millionn in 2014, a solid increase from the $1.dddddddddddd82 million he received last season. After coming to Baltimore in a trade with Houston, Norris went 4-3 in 11 games. The right-hander agreed to terms on a $5.3 million contract. Matusz and Patton, both left-handers, pitched out of the bullpen. Matusz will earn $2.4 million in 2014 after receiving $1.6 million last season, and Patton will receive $1,275,000 next season, up from $825,000 in 2013. The Orioles have exchanged arbitration figures with catcher Matt Wieters, offering $6.5 million while hes seeking $8.75 million. ' ' '