Giant-toppler Bulldogs turn focus to title game
Vic Schaefer and his Mississippi State Bulldogs didn’t get much time to celebrate what might be the greatest shocker in women’s basketball history.
Not when there’s one more game to win, not when there’s a national championship on the line against SEC rival South Carolina.
“They’re really grounded. Our kids know what’s coming down the pike,” he said Saturday. “They know now the prize is in front of them; it’s attainable. We have one heck of a team to get ready for, a tremendous staff. They’re really, really good. But it’s down to the two of us.”
After Morgan William hit the winner to end UConn’s 111-game winning streak Friday night, the Bulldogs piled on each other at center court as if they had won the school’s first title.
“It felt like the national championship last night,” Mississippi State star Dominique Dillingham said. “But I promise you it’ll be a lot better tomorrow when we win.”
It would be even sweeter to beat South Carolina, which defeated Stanford on Friday, to do it. The Bulldogs lost twice to the Gamecocks this season, dropping a road game in the regular season and then falling to South Carolina in the SEC tournament title game.
The Gamecocks say they are happy to have an SEC rival in the NCAA championship game, and another first-time participant to boot.
“We’re proud an SEC school could do it,” South Carolina guard Kaela Davis said. “I feel for (UConn) because for me, I couldn’t imagine the pressure kind of riding just with having all that on your back. At the same time, I’m proud that it was an SEC school and proud of the way Mississippi State played.” Hall of Fame: Two-time NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady, Kansas coach Bill Self, former Chicago Bulls executive Jerry Krause and former UConn star Rebecca Lobo are part of this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class.
The Hall of Fame announced the 11-person class at the men’s Final Four in Glendale, Ariz.
Others in the class are Notre Dame women’s coach Muffet McGraw, Texas high school coach Robert Hughes, former NCAA executive Tom Jernstedt, Harlem Globetrotters player, owner and CEO Mannie Jackson, former Globetrotters player Zack Clayton, former European star Nikos Galis and former NBA and ABA star George McGinnis. Stanford men get recruit: Daejon Davis, a guard from Seattle who asked out of his letter of intent with Washington after the school fired coach Lorenzo Romar on March 15, has committed to Stanford, according to Scout.com. Briefly: Katelynn Flaherty hit four three-pointers and scored 27 points, Hallie Thome added 25 points, and Michigan outlasted Georgia Tech 89-79 in three overtimes in Detroit for the WNIT championship . ... New Mexico fired Craig Neal, who was 76-52 in four seasons as the Lobos’ men’s coach . ... Sophomore guard Cameron Johnson, who averaged 11.9 points this season, became the fourth Pittsburgh player planning to transfer from coach Kevin Stallings’ program. Four others graduated and one was dismissed.