WASHINGTON – George Mason’s players stood on the press table, waving their jerseys to the crowd. Coach Jim Larranaga walked around with the nylon net around his neck.

It won’t be the same old schools from the same old conferences at this year’s Final Four – certainly not top-seeded Connecticut.

Buoyed by a partisan crowd and playing some 20 miles from their campus, 11th-seeded George Mason overcame huge disadvantages in size,athleticism, and history yesterday to stun the Huskies 86-84 in overtime, ending a stranglehold that big-time programs have enjoyed for 27 years in college basketball’s biggest showcase.

Improbable as it may seem, the powers-that-be are going to have to make room for a suburban commuter school from Fairfax, Va., that was a dicey choice to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team.

The Patriots overcame their deficiencies with heart and tenacity. They were never rattled, even when they trailed by 12 late in the first half and nine early in the second.They hit six straight 3-pointers in the second half, shot 5-for-6 in overtime and outrebounded UConn 37-34 even though the Huskies have three starters taller than any of the Patriots’ frontcourt players.

There was also motivation from Larranaga, who fired up his team during timeouts by telling them that UConn’s players didn’t even know which conference George Mason is in.

“That’s a little bit of disrespect,” guard Tony Skinn said. “Coach told us the CAA stands for ‘Connecticut Assassin Association.’ “

Of course, as more people are learning,CAA stands for Colonial Athletic Association, a league that has never had a team get this far before. The Patriots (27-7) are only the second double-digit seed to make the Final Four, matching LSU’s run, also as an 11th seed, in 1986.

George Mason next plays no. 3 seed Florida in Saturday’s semifinals in Indianapolis.This marks the first time since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that no top-seeded team advanced to the Final Four, and the second time in tournament history.

All five Mason starters finished in double figures. Jai Lewis had 20, and Lamar Butler and Will Thomas each scored 19. Larranaga’s team kept the same five players in the game from the 10:37 mark of regulation to the end of overtime. Butler was chosen as the most outstanding player of the regional.

“I feel so good, through my own sadness, for Jim Larranaga,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “Playing at that level is not easy. I can only imagine the feeling they must have on that campus, in that locker room. … It’s something they probably never imagined.”

Rudy Gay scored 20, and Jeff Adrien had a career-high 17 points for Connecticut (30-4), which never could put together a complete game in the tournament. The Huskies had to rally from double-digit second-half deficits to beat Albany and Washington and barely held off Kentucky.

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FLORIDA 75, VILLANOVA 62 With Florida minutes away from the Final Four, Joakim Noah threw his head back, screamed and pounded his chest as if to announce Gators’ arrival.

Noah and his sophomore teammates dispatched the last no. 1 seed standing, and are suddenly heading to Indianapolis – perhaps as the favorite.

The young, third-seeded Gators beat a steep learning curve with a 75-62 win over top-seeded Villanova in the Minneapolis Regional final, and are going to the Final Four.

Noah had 21 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, five blocks, and was selected most outstanding player of the regional. Fellow sophomore Al Horford added 12 points and 15 rebounds.

“When you’re young and you don’t play in these situations, you just don’t know,” Noah said. “I think the more we play in these situations, the better we’re going to become.”

Point guard Taurean Green scored 19 points for Florida (31-6).

Villanova star Randy Foye fouled out with 28.9 seconds left and walked slowly to the bench to hug his coaches and teammates, as tears streamed down his face. He carried the Wildcats (28-5) for the second time in three days, without any help from fellow senior Allan Ray.

“Like Randy said, this is going to hurt for a while,” said Ray, who had 11 points on 5-for-19 shooting.

Foye had 25 points, but Lee Humphrey helped keep him from getting free behind the 3-point line. Foye missed six of his eight 3-pointers.