NEWARK, N.J. -- Brandon Knight scored 22 points and DeAndre Liggins made a pair of crucial plays down the stretch as Kentucky held on for a 76-69 victory over North Carolina in the NCAA East Regional final Sunday.

The Wildcats (29-8), who are advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1998, will face West Regional champion Connecticut in the second national semifinal Saturday in Houston. Butler and Virginia Commonwealth will open Saturday's action in Houston.

North Carolina trailed for most of the day before a 10-2 run evened the score, 67-67, with 3:18 to go. The Tar Heels were down, 70-69, with a shot to take the lead, when Liggins came up with a key block on a Kendall Marshall drive. Liggins then hit a 3-pointer from the right corner at the other end to put Kentucky in front by four with 37 seconds to go.

Liggins and Josh Harrellson each added 12 points for the Wildcats, who had all five starters score in double figures. Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes paced North Carolina (29-8) with 21 and 18 points, respectively.