Mississippi State beats Baylor

Morgan William scores 41 points to lead her team to upset top-seeded Baylor 94-85 in OT Sunday.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Morgan William scored a career-high 41 points, and No. 2 seed Mississippi State upset top-seeded Baylor 94-85 in overtime Sunday to reach the Final Four for the first time.

William, a 5-foot-5 guard, was chosen Most Outstanding Player of the regional. She set a school record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.

Victoria Vivians scored 24 points and Teaira McCowan added 10 for Mississippi State (33-4).

Kalani Brown scored 27 points and Nina Davis had 18 for Baylor (33-4), which lost in the Elite Eight for the fourth consecutive year.

William made a 3-pointer to give Mississippi State a 73-68 lead in regulation, but Baylor responded with a 7-0 run, and Brown’s basket put the Lady Bears ahead by two. William’s layup with 22 seconds remaining tied the game at 75 and forced overtime.

The game featured 24 lead changes.

Big picture

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs ended last season with a 60-point loss to Connecticut in the Sweet 16. This season, the Bulldogs took it a step further by reaching the Elite Eight for the first time, then beat Baylor, a women’s basketball power.

The Bulldogs have talked about not getting respect along the way. This victory should boost the program’s image.

Baylor: It was more disappointment for the Lady Bears at this stage. They were a No. 1 seed in 2011 and lost in the Elite Eight and

a top seed last year when they lost to Oregon State in the Elite Eight.

Up next

Mississippi State will play Connecticut or Oregon in the Final Four.

Alonzo Adams / The Associated Press Mississippi State’s Morgan William (2) shoots during the second half of Sunday’s regional final of the NCAA women’s tournament against Baylor in Oklahoma City.