Calhoun Returns and Connecticut Defeats Pittsburgh Jim Calhoun, who was out on medical leave for more than a month, was back pacing the sideline and screaming Saturday, leading host Connecticut to a 74-65 win over Pittsburgh. "He was there to be our backbone when they" were making runs, Huskies guard Ryan Boatright said. The surgeon who performed the spinal operation on Calhoun on Monday was watching from the stands, said the associate coach George Blaney, who handled the postgame media duties for Calhoun. "I walked into the locker room and he was standing there and I said, "I knew you were going to be here," " Blaney said. Guard Shabazz Napier scored 23 points, including a big 3-pointer with a minute left, and Roscoe Smith added 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Huskies (18-12, 8-10 Big East), who kept alive hopes for an at-large bid to the N.C.A.A. tournament. "He just brings that energy and it just makes me want to fight harder, even when I'm tired, on my last straw," Napier said. The Panthers, fresh off a 20-point win over St. John's, came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to take a 61-60 lead with 2 minutes 51 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Tray Woodall, but could not hold on and lost for the sixth time in seven games. CINCINNATI 72, VILLANOVA 68 Yancy Gates scored 16 points and visiting Cincinnati (22-9, 12-6) reached 12 conference victories for the first time since joining the Big East. Maalik Wayns had 26 points to lead Villanova (12-18, 5-13), which seems assured of missing postseason play for the first time in Coach Jay Wright's 11 seasons. Villanova has appeared in seven straight N.C.A.A. tournaments. WEST VIRGINIA 50, SOUTH FLORIDA 44 West Virginia scored its last 10 points on free throws to win at South Florida. The Mountaineers (19-12, 9-9 Big East) won despite shooting less than 29 percent from the field against U.S.F. (19-12, 12-6), which had won six of its previous seven in building a strong case to be invited to the N.C.A.A. tournament. AMERICA EAST Gerardo Suero scored 24 points to lead Albany in a 63-45 win over New Hampshire in West Hartford, Conn., in the conference quarterfinals. The fourth-seeded Great Danes (19-13), who had a first-round bye, advanced to the semifinals against top-seeded Stony Brook (21-8) on Sunday. Stony Brook, which has never appeared in the N.C.A.A. tournament, defeated Binghamton, 78-69, in Hartford to advance to the semifinals for the third consecutive season. The Seawolves have won 12 of their last 13 and 18 of 20. METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC Rakim Sanders scored 15 points and Fairfield defeated Rider, 65-63, in Springfield, Mass, in the quarterfinals. The Stags (17-13) avenged a 65-62 loss to the Broncs on Feb. 26. Mike Glover scored 29 points as regular-season champion Iona (25-6) defeated Marist (14-18), 87-63.