ARLINGTON, Texas -- Shabazz Napier looked up toward the Connecticut fans in the crowd at AT&T Stadium and held up one finger.

The Huskies had just beaten overall No. 1 seed Florida 63-53 on Saturday in the Final Four. But Napier's gesture had another meaning.

"One more to go," the first-team All-American said.

The victory got them into Monday night's title game against Kentucky and it was as good as any team came up with this season against the Gators, who came in having won 30 straight games, a streak that started after a loss to the Huskies four months ago.

"We have been in a lot of dog fights," Napier said. "We are just an experienced group. We believe in each other and continue to believe in each other. ... We are going to win. That is what we do."

Especially against Florida.

The Gators lost only three times this season -- once to Wisconsin in the second game of the season and twice to the Huskies. The first time was on Dec. 2 when a foul-line jumper at the buzzer by Napier gave UConn a 65-64 victory.

They didn't have to wait that long to know they had this one.

The Huskies, the seventh seeds in the East Regional, had outstanding games on both ends of the court.

Napier helped seal this game with about 2 minutes to play when he made two free throws for a 59-47 lead. That margin was the deficit the Huskies (31-8) faced in the opening minutes after a cold-shooting start.

"I knew we was going to get back in the game. They knew we was going to get back in the game," second-year coach Kevin Ollie said. "We live and die on defense and hopefully everybody understands that."

With Ollie in a defensive stance himself most of the game, the Huskies sidetracked the Florida offense by shutting down point guard Scottie Wilbekin and 3-point specialist Michael Frazier II, who scored a combined seven points.