UConn, Notre Dame renew rivaly; MSU looks tomake history

It wasn’t long ago Geno Auriemma and Muffet McGraw were constantly on each other’s minds.

That’s what happens when you coach two of the nation’s best teams and play in the same conference. UConn and Notre Dame would play four times a season, heightening the intensity of one of the best rivalries in women’s college basketball.

Now with the two powerhouse programs in different conferences, the intensity has diminished. They play only once a season, with a second meeting usually coming on the grand stage of the Final Four.

“The neat thing about it is after every game in December now I will say to her all the time, ‘ I’ll see you in March. If I see you in March it will be in the Final Four, so that’s cool,” Auriemma said.

The unbeaten Huskies and Irish play Friday night in the national semifinals in which all four top seeds advanced. The winner will face Louisville or Mississippi State for the title Sunday night.

There was a stretch between 2010 and 2013 when the two squads played 15 times. The Irish won seven times, twice knock- ing UConn out of the Final Four.

It’s the 11th consecutive Final Four appearance for the Huskies, breaking a tie with John Wooden and the UCLA men’s team for the Division I record. UConn is in the semifinals for the 19th time, snapping a tie with Tennessee for the most in women’s basketball.

Notre Dame senior Kathyrn Westbeld has been the constant for the Irish. She battled back from an ankle injury early in the season only to hurt the other ankle in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She worked her way back to play a key role in the Irish’s win over Villanova in the second round and then was a big factor in beating Oregon to get the Irish to the Final Four. MISSISSIPPI STATE-LOUISVILLE » Mississippi State wants to write some more history in the women’s college basketball world.

For now at least, the Bulldogs are best remembered as the team that ended UConn’s 111- game winning streak in last year’s national semifinal, knocking off the mighty Huskies in overtime on a buzzer-beater by guard Morgan William. It was the shot heard around world, overshadowing Mississippi State’s loss in the final to South Carolina.

With virtually the same guard-strong lineup as last year, the Bulldogs are back in the Final Four seeking more. So of course are the ubiquitous Huskies, although the teams won’t meet again unless both are victorious in their national semifinal games on Friday.

Mississippi State (36-1) first has to be get by Louisville (36-2) in the first game on Friday night.

Coach Vic Schaefer said the Bulldogs are tempered by the fight in last year’s tournament and a long, rigorous season that saw them to go 32- 0 until losing to South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Louisville has put together a monster season of its own. The Cardinals won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular- season and tournament titles for the first time in school history. They haven’t lost since a 69- 58 setback at No. 1 UConn back on Feb. 12 and made it to the Final Four for the third time in 11 years under coach Jeff Walz. MCGRAW, WILSON TAKE TOP HONORS » Notre Dame’s McGraw called this the toughest year of her Hall of Fame career. Having four players go down for the season with ACL injuries will do that.

She still won The Associated Press women’s basketball Coach of the Year after getting the Irish to a 33-3 record and the team’s first trip to the Final Four in three seasons.

McGraw received 10 votes from the 32-member national media panel that votes for the weekly AP Top 25. Mississippi State’s Schaefer also garnered 10 votes and McGraw won a runoff.

The Bulldogs’ lone loss came to South Carolina, which was led by AP Player of the Year A’ja Wilson.

Wilson was the overwhelming choice, receiving 22 votes. UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson was second with five. Kalani Brown of Baylor, Asia Durr of Louisville, Megan Gustafson of Iowa, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu of Walnut Creek, and Victoria Vivians of Mississippi State each received one vote.

Louisville’s Walz had five votes while Baylor’s Kim Mulkey got three. Auriemma and Oregon’s Kelly Graves each had two. MCPHEE, ANIGWE HONORED » Stanford’s Brittany McPhee and Cal’s Kristine Anigwe were named honorable mention All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.