End of the long Conn
Mississippi State stuns Connecticut, ending No. 1 Huskies’ record 111-game win streak.
MISSISSIPPI ST. 66 CONNECTICUT 64 (OT)
DALLAS — The ball floated through the air and settled into the net as the buzzer sounded.
After a collegiate-record 111 consecutive victories, after a season of exceeding expectations, it was over. As the Mississippi State players celebrated, the Connecticut Huskies walked off the court.
For first time since November 2014, the Huskies lost. Final in overtime: Mis-
sissippi State 66, UConn 64.
Morgan William drove through the lane and tossed a running jump shot to win the national semifinal game. The Bulldogs are on to the NCAA title game, where on Sunday they will face South Carolina.
The Huskies are going home. The four-time defending national champions were eliminated.
UConn (36-1) trailed by 14 points in the first half and climbed back against a tough, tenacious team. But the Huskies could not finish.
They trailed, 62-60, late in the five-minute overtime, after missing their first six shots of the extra period. With 1:35 left, Katie Lou Samuelson hit a game-tying jumper.
But 23 seconds later, Teiara McCown scored inside to make it 64-62. UConn turned the ball over on its next possession and Mississippi State missed a shot, giving UConn the ball with 26 seconds left.
But as coach Geno Auriemma called a timeout, officials reviewed an earlier play. Samuelson was sent to the free-throw line with 26 seconds left after Mississippi State was called for a flagrant foul — involving a play on which no foul was called while the game was in progress.
Samuelson, a sohomore from Santa Ana Mater Dei High, made both free throws to tie it. But UConn failed on the ensuing possession, setting up the winning shot.
It was 48-48 heading into the fourth quarter. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm, but Mississippi State managed to build a four-piont lead with four minutes to play.
A Samuelson three-pointer pulled the Huskies within one, and they took the lead when Saniya Chong converted two free throws with 2:42 left. It became a three-point lead when Williams scored after a steal.
But Breanna Richardson made a free throw for Mississippi State, and then with 1:14 left, Victoria Vivians made a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs the lead.
After a UConn turnover, Mississippi State’s William missed a shot and UConn’s Napheesa Collier was fouled as she grabbed the rebound. Collier missed the first free throw and made the second with 27 seconds left to tie it at 60.
A year ago, Connecticut had routed Mississippi State, 98-38, in a regional semifinal.
South Carolina 62, Stanford 53: In the first semifinal, Allisha Gray scored 18 points, A’ja Wilson had 13 points and 19 rebounds, and the Gamecocks beat the Cardinal to advance to their first national championship game.
Wilson had 13 points and 19 rebounds for the Gamecocks (32-4), who lost in the semifinal of their only other Final Four appearance two years ago. They went ahead to stay with 13 straight points in the third quarter.
Stanford (32-6) took a big hit when senior star guard Karlie Samuelson — Katie Lou’s sister — sprained her right ankle with about 41⁄2 minutes left before halftime, just after the Cardinal had taken an eight-point lead .
Samuelson, Stanford’s No. 3 scorer this season, returned for the start of the second half, but she would finish scoreless in 25 minutes, taking only two shots.