Notre Dame takes women’s crown on last-second three
Arike Ogunbowale hit a 3-pointer from the corner with a tenth of a second on the clock to lift Notre Dame to its second women’s basketball title, a 61-58 victory over Mississippi State (37-2) in the NCAA championship game on Sunday night in Columbus, Ohio.
It was the second straight game that the junior guard hit a shot in the final second to carry the Irish (35-3). Her jumper with one second left knocked off previously unbeaten UConn in the semifinals.
With the game tied, Ogunbowale took the inbounds pass and dribbled to the corner, hitting the game-winner.
The title came 17 years to the day after the Irish’s only other championship in 2001. Notre Dame had been to the title game four other times in the previous seven years, falling short each time. But Muffet McGraw’s squad pulled off the biggest comeback in title game history, rallying from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter and a five-point deficit in the final 1:58.
POULTER PUTTS INTO MASTERS
Ian Poulter delivered another big moment Sunday, this one for himself. Down to his last putt, Poulter made a 20-foot birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Beau Hossler, and then he won the Houston Open in Humble, Texas, with a par on the first extra hole to earn the last spot in the Masters.
One week after Poulter was mistakenly told he had locked up a spot at Augusta National through the world ranking, he left no doubt by winning with a clutch moment reminiscent of his Ryder Cup heroics from Medinah in 2012.
Poulter closed with a 5-under 67. Hossler, who also shot 67, overcame a three-shot deficit with four straight birdies on the back nine. He had a chance to win on the 18th in regulation with a 30-foot birdie putt that trickled over the right edge of the cup.
That set the stage for Poulter, and the 42-year-old from England lived up to his nickname as “The Postman” by delivering his biggest putt in years. Poulter pounded his chest five times when the putt dropped, and all Hossler could do was smile. They finished at 19-under 269.
In the sudden-death playoff on the 18th, one of the more daunting finishing holes off the tee with water down the left side and a bunker to the right, Hossler found the bunker for the second time. He hit into a greenside bunker, and his third shot caught way too much ball and went over the green and into the water. Poulter was safely on the green as Hossler took his penalty drop, chipped onto the green and took two putts for a triple bogey.
ISNER WINS
American John Isner won the biggest title of his 14-year career on Sunday, holding every service game and rallying past fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany in the Miami Open final, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4.
Isner, 32, previously had been 0-3 in ATP Masters 1000 finals. The 14th seed’s breakthrough came in the last singles match on Key Biscayne before the Miami Open moves next year to the NFL Dolphins’ stadium.
The start of the last game was delayed by the crowd’s chants of “US-A!” Isner then held at love, and on the final three points he smacked aces, giving him 18 for the match and 79 for the tournament.