SAN ANTONIO -- You knew there was going to be a prominent Pittsburgh connection in the national championship game tomorrow night.

You just didn't know if it would be UCLA coach Ben Howland or Memphis coach John Calipari.

It's Calipari, pride of Moon Township.

His Tigers -- behind sublime play from guards Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose -- took out UCLA, 78-63, in the first national semifinal game last night at the Alamodome and will play Kansas for the title.

"I'm coaching a dream team," Calipari gushed afterward.

For Howland, who coached at Pitt from 1999-2003, and his Bruins, it was a third consecutive disappointing Final Four ending. They were beaten each of the past two seasons by eventual champion Florida.

"Obviously, we're very disappointed to come all this way and lose," Howland said. "It's hard to be here three years in a row and not come away with a championship. I thought this was our best team and gave us our best chance, but you have to give Memphis State credit. They played very, very well."

Memphis looks as if it could follow Florida's path. Just as was the case against Michigan State, which they led by 30 points at halftime, and Texas, which they beat by 18, in the South Region last weekend, the Tigers simply had too much speed for UCLA.

"This is nothing new for us," Douglas-Roberts said. "We've been doing this all year."

The Bruins -- one of the country's toughest defensive teams -- had no answers for Douglas-Roberts and Rose, who combined for 53 points. But this beating was about much more than that. Memphis held UCLA to 37.5 percent shooting and limited Pac-10 player of the year Kevin Love to 12 points and nine rebounds. Memphis outrebounded the Bruins, 43-36. And it committed just nine turnovers.

"The reality of it is I've got a good team," Calipari said. "These guys play together. They rebound. They defend. They take care of the ball. I've got a good team."

Memphis scored on four consecutive possessions early in the second half to turn a 38-35 halftime lead into a 46-37 bulge. When Rose, who scored 25 points, made two free throws with 16:37 left, the margin was 48-37. UCLA closed within five points one time at 50-45, but Douglas-Roberts, the game's top scorer with 28 points, answered with a hook shot over UCLA's Russell Westbrook and two free throws to stretch the gap back to nine. UCLA never got closer than seven points again.

The Tigers' win was their 38th of the season, an NCAA record.

"Our guys didn't know that," Calipari said. "They're asking me, 'Is that true? Is that the most wins?' "

Calipari grinned.

It's not by accident that he's one of basketball's top motivators.

"'No, no,' I told them," Calipari said. "'You've got to get to 39 to have the most wins.'"