Mississippi State gets past UCLA, makes second straight Final Four
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Teaira Mccowan had 23 points and 21 rebounds, Victoria Vivans added 24 points, and top-seeded Mississippi State beat relentless UCLA 89-73 on Sunday to reach its second straight Final Four.
Morgan William added 17 points and Roshunda Johnson 12 for the Bulldogs (36-1), who blew a good chunk of an 18-point second-half lead before hanging on to extend their school record for wins in a season — and lock up a trip to the national semifinals in Columbus, Ohio. They’ll meet Louisville, another No. 1 seed, on Friday.
Jordin Canada led the third-seeded Bruins (27-8) with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Japreece Dean scored 16 points, and Monique Billings and Kennedy Burke had 12 apiece, most coming when the Bruins were trying to rally from a 50-32 hole.
They closed within 74-68 on Dean’s 3-pointer with 2:53 left but couldn’t get a stop on the defensive end. Instead, they traded basket-for-basket down the stretch, and Mississippi State clinched the win from the foul line in the final minute.
Lexington Region No. 1 Louisville 76, No. 6 Oregon State 43 —
At Lexington, Ky., Asia Durr scored 18 points for the Cardinals (36-2), who never trailed the Beavers (26-8) en route to their 11th straight win and first Final Four berth since 2013. Louisville, which held Oregon State to 35-percent shooting, capped its run through the region by an average margin of victory of 27.5 points.