Orlando, Fla. — March Madness reached a whole new level of insanity on Friday.

It was college basketball's version of Masterpiece Theater at its crazy best.

Fifth-seeded UConn fought through waves of adversity to outlast No. 4 Cincinnati, 104-97, in four overtimes in an exhausting and drama-filled American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal at the Amway Center.

"That was an unbelievable game...," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "In the huddle, we were telling our guys to keep fighting and keep throwing punches and that's what they did. A lot of people questioned our heart throughout the season, and you can't question it no more."

".... The guys stuck together and played hard. They kept believing no matter what was happening."

A strong belief, sheer will and a fiercely competitive spirit kept UConn's NCAA tournament hopes alive and set up a semifinal matchup top-seeded Temple (21-10) at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Huskies (22-10) eliminated the Bearcats (22-10) from the conference tournament for the third straight season.

"We just knew our season was on the line," guard Rodney Purvis said. "That's what we kept coming into the huddle and saying. That, along with the basketball Gods and God, the man upstairs, it was all on our side today. We all kept fighting together and came out and got the win."

"It was just toughness. ... We've just got to get some rest and try to be prepared for (Saturday)."

Sophomore Daniel Hamilton and freshman Jalen Adams were the two biggest Husky Heroes, each scoring career highs with 32 points and 22 points, respectively. Hamilton added a game-tying 12 rebounds and team-best eight assists in a 55 marathon minutes.

Only once did the Huskies ever let any doubt creep in.

That's when Cincinnati's Kevin Johnson's 3-pointer with 00.8 seconds left in the third overtime appeared to finally decide the outcome.

With the Bearcats ready to go into celebration mode, Hamilton in-bounded the ball to Adams, who banked in a miracle shot from about 70 feet to tie the score at 88-apiece and force a fourth overtime.

"To be completely honest, it was tough to think that we were going to win until Jalen hit that shot," guard Sterling Gibbs said.

After the officials reviewed the play, they counted the basket.

"Especially after going into so many overtimes, I said, 'we have to win...,' " Adams said. "I was just happy it went in. My teammates jumped all over me. I thought maybe I didn't get it off on time. Good thing it did."

Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin thought the clock started late on the play after watching the replay five times.

"Got nothing but utmost respect for Kevin and the job he does, how hard his kids play," Cronin said. "But I felt we won the game and the game was taken away from us.

It took every ounce of energy for UConn to stage its biggest comeback this season. The Huskies struggled early and trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half.

Then the Huskies failed to hold on to a seven-point lead in regulation, going scoreless for the final three minutes, 36 seconds.

It didn't discourage the Huskies, who kept their composure and increased their will to win.

"One thing in our program we always talk about is recovery," Ollie said. "And we recovered."

They overcame a brilliant effort from Cincinnati's Troy Caupain, who had a game-high 37 points and hit his share of tough, clutch shots.

Adams, who scored 20 after halftime, came to the rescue several times. He darted into the lane and converted a game-tying driving shot with 5.5 seconds left in the second overtime to tie the score at 75-all and extend the game.

In the fourth overtime, Adams and Hamilton combined for 14 of UConn's 16 points. The Huskies outscored the Bearcats, 14-6, in the final 3:09, with Gibbs' two free throws putting them ahead for good, 92-91.

Under constant big game pressure, UConn played sparkling defense, took care of the basketball (only 11 turnovers) and answered with big shot after big shot.

"It was an emotional roller-coaster...," said forward Shonn Miller. "We just kept going up and down. We just stayed the course and got the win."

The Huskies not only walked away with a valuable win, but a lasting memory. The instant classic joined an epic six-overtime Big East quarterfinal battle with Syracuse in 2009. But the Huskies lost that game.

"By far, the best game I've ever been a part of," Purvis said. "I'll never forget this game."

Nor will any of Husky Nation.

"That's definitely going to go down as one of the great games in March," Gibbs said.

g.keefe@theday.com

UCONN vs. TEMPLE

 Game: American Athletic Conference tournament semifinal

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

Tip-off: 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

Records: Fifth-seeded UConn 22-10, top-seeded Temple 21-10

Last game: UConn beat No. 4 Cincinnati, 104-97, in four overtimes Friday; Temple downed No. 9 USF, 79-62, Friday

Probable starters: UConn, 6-2 grad. guard Sterling Gibbs (12.1 pts), 6-4 r-jr. guard Rodney Purvis (12.7 pts), 6-7 so. forward Daniel Hamilton (12.3 pts, 8.8 rebs), 6-7 grad. forward Shonn Miller (12.6 pts, 5.3 rebs), 7-0 jr. center Amida Brimah (7 pts, 4.6 rebs, 2.6 blks)

Temple, 6-3 jr. guard Josh Brown (8 pts), 6-5 sr. guard Quenton DeCosey (15.7 pts, 6 rebs), 6-7 r-jr. guard Daniel Dingle (4.6 pts), 6-8 sr. forward Jaylen Bond (10 pts, 8.2 rebs), 6-8 so. forward Obi Enechionyia (11.4 pts, 3.8 rebs)

Noteworthy: UConn appearing in third straight semifinal. .... Temple won regular season title with 14-4 mark. ... Series: UConn trails, 7-6, losing four straight including 63-58 on the road and 55-53 at home this season. ... Bond had 17 pts, 8 rebs, 4 steals in quarterfinal win over USF. Owls shot 47.3 percent and forced 15 turnovers. ... Top reserve: 6-2 sr. guard Devin Coleman (9.2 pts). ... Both teams still fighting to secure NCAA bids. ... DeCosey a unanimous pick to All-AAC first team. Averaged a team-best 19 pts in two wins over UConn. ... Huskies shot 31.6 and 39.2 percent from field vs. Temple this season. ... Hot: Purvis hit double digits in five straight AAC tournament games. Cold: Reserve Omar Calhoun 7-for-19 from field in his career in AAC tourney. .... Owls ranked third in the nation in fewest turnovers at 9.2 per game. ... Fatigue may be factor for Huskies, who'll need help from their bench. ... Coach Kevin Ollie on Temple: "We're going to give them a fight just like we did Cincinnati." ... Up next: Today's winner advances to Sunday's championship game.

— Gavin Keefe