Albany, N.Y. — UConn coach Geno Auriemma looked around the huddle late in the game Friday night and saw a sense of dread on his players' faces.

"We looked like we were in trouble," Auriemma said. "The look on their face looked like they were in trouble. It looked like we were searching."

So how to explain the poise with which second-seeded UConn responded in the fourth quarter, leading to a pulsating 69-61 victory over No. 6 UCLA in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 round before 8,765 fans at the Times Union Center?

The swagger from junior point guard Crystal Dangerfield, who came up with 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter? The difference in UConn's demeanor?

"I think it took us getting down five to really change how we were looking at the game," Auriemma said. "I think the whole time we were winning, when we were up, it was like, 'Yeah, OK, we'll figure out a way to win it.'

"But when we got down five, I think there was a sense of, 'Uh-oh, now we need to dig down deeper and we need to find something.' And we did. I was probably more proud of them in that fourth quarter, this particular group of players, than any time since they've been at Connecticut."

Senior All-American Napheesa Collier finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots as UConn (34-2) advanced to the Albany Regional final against top-seeded Louisville (32-3) beginning at noon Sunday. Louisville, which defeated No. 4 Oregon State 61-44 Friday night, topped UConn 78-69 previously this season in Louisville.

The Huskies, at one time leading 31-19 over UCLA on a 3-pointer by freshman Christyn Williams, gave up the final seven points of the second quarter to carve the lead to just five at halftime.

UCLA then came out gunning in the third quarter, hitting five 3-point field goals in rapid fire, the fifth of which, from Lindsey Corsaro with 2 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the third, gave the Bruins a 46-41 lead.

UConn's path back into the lead involved the Huskies aforementioned comportment, a showcase from Dangerfield and defense.

Also, down by five, UConn got its next points from senior All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, who had not scored to that juncture. With 2:03 to go in the quarter, Samuelson was the victim of a flagrant foul by UCLA's Lajahna Drummer, who hit Samuelson so hard her hair flew out of its trademark bun.

Samuelson hit one of two free throws and UConn got the ball back. Samuelson was fouled again and hit two more free throws, pulling within 46-44. A basket by UCLA's Japreece Dean was then answered by a three-point play from Collier.

UCLA led 50-49 after three quarters.

UConn would change that nine seconds later, as Collier scored inside on a pass from Samuelson to mark the Huskies' first possession of the fourth quarter and UConn came up with a steal on the other end of the floor, foreshadowing the remainder of the quarter.

"(Auriemma) kind of said it after the game. We didn't know where it was going to come from, but it was definitely going to happen," Dangerfield said of the comeback. "That's the kind of confidence that we've kind of grown to have in each other over the course of this season."

"I think they remembered that we're UConn and this is what we do," Auriemma said. "And it doesn't always work, don't get me wrong. Our kids need to be reminded sometimes, we're still UConn, you know. We're not going to die easily. It's not going to be that easy to get rid of us."

Dangerfield finished with 15 points and four assists for UConn, searching for its 12th straight Final Four bid and its 12th national championship. Williams had 14 points, 12 in the first half, and Megan Walker a valuable 11 rebounds to help hold off a team renowned for its rebounding in UCLA.

Dean had 16 points, Kennedy Burke 14 points and 10 rebounds and Michaela Onyenwere eight points and 15 rebounds for UCLA (22-13), which reached the Sweet 16 with an 85-80 upset earlier this week of No. 3 Maryland.

"I don't know what to say other than, that talk in the locker room (after the game), I've been doing this 26 years and it doesn't get any easier," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "It's hard because we didn't come to play close. We came to compete to win and we believed it and fought for it."

Close said after the team's season-opening loss to Loyola Marymount, she wasn't sure this type of run was possible for the Bruins.

"I'm not sure they would have been able to dream that big at that point," she said.

She called Dangerfield's fourth-quarter shooting spree one of the biggest differences in the game.

After Collier gave UConn the lead for good at 51-50, Dangerfield hit a pull-up jump shot, getting the roll, for a 53-50 lead. She followed that with a drive, kissing the ball off the glass, and next hit a 3-pointer as the Huskies began to distance themselves.

"Those were really the back-breakers," Close said. "I saw our demeanor change when Dangerfield hit a couple of those big shots late in the shot clock. That's when I saw sort of a little bit of doubt creep in our eyes."

v.fulkerson@theday.com