South Carolina advances to their first national title game with a 62-53 win over Stanford. USC head coach Dawn Staley talks about the feat after the game. </s> For the first time in program history, South Carolina will play for the national title.

The Gamecocks rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to top Stanford 62-53 Friday night at the American Airlines Center in a national semifinal game.

USC will face the winner of UConn and Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Sunday for the national title on ESPN.

South Carolina outscored Stanford 42-24 in the second half, including 21-8 in the third quarter.

The Gamecocks were led by Allisha Gray, who scored a game-high 18 points, including 13 in the second half. South Carolina All-American A’Ja Wilson scored 13 points and pulled down 19 rebounds.

USC opened the second half on a 19-4 run, taking a 35-33 lead on a Bianca Cuevas-Moore 3-pointer with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter.

The Gamecocks led the rest of the way with Stanford getting as close as three points twice in the fourth quarter. </s> DALLAS – In the week since South Carolina earned its second trip to the Final Four in three years, junior forward A’ja Wilson has had a message for her teammates.

Savor this, she’d say. Don’t take this experience for granted. And definitely, don’t lose in the semifinal.

The Gamecocks must have listened.

South Carolina rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the first national semifinal behind a 13-point, 19-rebound performance from Wilson. South Carolina will play the winner of Connecticut and Mississippi State in the national title game Sunday night.

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The Gamecocks advance to their first-ever championship game after surviving a dreadful second quarter, as South Carolina missed seven consecutive shots and watched a two-point lead turn into a 29-20 deficit by halftime. South Carolina hit just 26 % of its shots in the first half.

But South Carolina was ready for a run of its own after halftime, turning up the tempo on offense as the Gamecocks tried to outrun a Stanford team that wanted to be patient. South Carolina also increased its defensive intensity, helping force Stanford into a scoring drought of more than five minutes.

A three-pointer by guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the second half, and South Carolina never trailed again.

South Carolina forced 16 turnovers, nine of them in the second half, in a defensive performance that was typical for a Gamecocks team known for their aggression and physicality. That defense will be especially challenged in the title game against either UConn or Mississippi State, as both teams have far more explosive scorers than Stanford.

The Cardinal had two players in double figures, Erica McCall and Alanna Smith both with 14. </s> NEW YORK (AP) – Sindarius Thornwell scored 26 points and South Carolina earned its first trip to the Final Four with a 77-70 victory over Florida on Sunday.

The seventh-seeded Gamecocks (26-10) used their trademark swarming defense and some solid free throw shooting to beat their fellow Southeastern Conference Gators (27-9) in the East Regional final at Madison Square Garden.

South Carolina will face Gonzaga, the No. 1 seed from the West Regional, in the Final Four on Saturday at Glendale, Arizona.

The game was as close as expected until the final minute. There were 14 lead changes and 10 ties. The last lead change came on two free throws by Thornwell with 2:24 left that made it 65-63. Florida managed just three field goals over the final 3:55. </s> For all of her accomplishments in her Hall of Fame playing career, there was one title that eluded Dawn Staley. For 26 years, she’s lived with the regret that she never won an NCAA title.

Staley coached the University of South Carolina their first women’s basketball national title Sunday night, 67-55 over Mississippi State, behind a 23-point, 10-rebound performance from Gamecocks junior forward A’ja Wilson.

The win was the culmination of the Gamecocks climb under Staley, who was hired in 2008. First, South Carolina became an SEC power, and two years ago, advanced to their first-ever Final Four. Staley, who won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA and was a six-time WNBA all-star, built a program attractive enough to land top recruits, like Wilson, who was the top player in the 2014 class, and top transfers, like guard Kaela Davis, who came to Columbia from Georgia Tech for the chance to compete for a national title.

Staley’s team never trailed in Sunday’s championship game at the American Airlines Center. The Gamecocks made 46% of their shots, all while not making a single three-point shot. South Carolina didn’t even attempt a three-pointer until late in the second quarter.

South Carolina’s game plan was clear. The Gamecocks were going to win this game by being aggressive in the paint. South Carolina was able to dictate the game with their up-tempo offense, and continually worked the ball around the court and under the basket to Wilson.

Wilson grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a put back shot with 1:40 remaining to essentially seal the win for South Carolina. As Mississippi State called for a timeout, Wilson stomped her feet and yelled, urging on her teammates for the game’s final stretch.

Wilson’s strong offensive night, combined with the sharp-shooting of guard Allisha Gray, who added 18 points, helped the Gamecocks build as much as a 14-point lead in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs rallied late in the third quarter and cut the lead to four points, after a steal and layup from guard Morgan William and free throws from center Teaira McCowan, but the charge was short-lived. Davis drained a jump shot at the third-quarter buzzer to take a 52-44 lead heading into the final quarter.

South Carolina’s defense, meanwhile, frustrated a Mississippi State offense that had been so prolific at times in this tournament, with three 90-point performances in March. But the Gamecocks continually pressured Bulldogs star guard Morgan William, who hit just one basket in the first half and was benched for half of the first quarter after an early turnover and foul.

The loss ends what had been an impressive tournament run for the Bulldogs, who knocked off No. 1 seed Baylor in the Elite Eight and on Friday ended Connecticut’s 111-game winning streak with a 66-64 overtime win in the Final Four.

© Gannett Co., Inc. 2017. All Rights Reserved </s> DALLAS -- When Mississippi State guard Morgan William made a jump shot at the buzzer from just outside the free-throw line to topple Connecticut and its 111-game winning streak on Friday night, it captured the attention of women's college basketball.

It sent Mississippi State into a frenzied celebration of its NCAA Tournament semifinal victory. The Bulldogs (34-4) advanced to play South Carolina (32-4) in an all-Southeastern Conference national championship game on Sunday evening at American Airlines Center.

It brought the Huskies face to face with the agony of defeat for the first time in more than 28 months.

By pulling off a huge upset in a semifinal game, Mississippi State brought to mind another semifinal shocker, or at least it did for Bulldogs coach Vic Schaefer.

Last season, before Mississippi State faced Connecticut in the Sweet 16, Schaefer said he watched the film "Miracle," about the 1980 U.S. hockey team that famously defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union in the semifinals of the Olympic Games before going on to a gold medal.

Now, Schaefer finds himself in a similar position as U.S. hockey coach Herb Brooks, who had to get his team focused on one more game after the semifinal upset.

"We talked about it in the locker room, that there is one more," Schaefer said during his postgame press conference late Friday night. "It's funny, last year I'm showing ("Miracle"), this year now I'm having to live it, 'cause there's one more game."

However, Schaefer also acknowledged it won't be difficult to focus his players on SEC-rival South Carolina.

The Gamecocks won the regular season SEC championship, finishing a game in front of second-place Mississippi State.

South Carolina defeated the Bulldogs in their only regular season game, 64-61, in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks prevailed again with a 59-49 victory over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament championship game in early March.

"We've been beaten twice by South Carolina," Schaefer said. "Our kids, we know what's coming down the pike. It won't take much to get their attention. That's our job, my job as the coach."

South Carolina erased a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Stanford in the first semifinal on Friday.

Gamecocks guards Allisha Gray and Tyasha Harris combined for 28 points and forward A'ja Wilson posted 13 points and 19 rebounds in the 62-53 victory over the Cardinal.

Now South Carolina and Mississippi State both will be playing in the national championship game for the first time.

Even before she knew her team would be facing an SEC foe in the title tilt, Wilson felt the significance of the moment.

"We know that we're not done," Wilson said. "But just the feeling of just making history at your school is just something really special. Especially with the game of women's basketball, we're kind of putting South Carolina on the map right now."

By knocking off four-time defending national champion Connecticut, Mississippi State probably caused ESPN to scrap a lot of prepared footage in prelude to the Huskies playing in the national championship game on Sunday.

But the Bulldogs also supplied plenty of drama in stepping into the national spotlight.

"I feel like we earned respect tonight," William said. "You know, people didn't believe in us. But it didn't faze us. We just had to go out there and play. I feel like it showed we're better than what everybody thinks." </s> DALLAS – In the week since South Carolina earned its second trip to the Final Four in three years, junior forward A’ja Wilson has had a message for her teammates.

Savor this, she’d say. Don’t take this experience for granted. And definitely, don’t lose in the semifinal.

The Gamecocks must have listened.

South Carolina rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the first national semifinal behind a 13-point, 19-rebound performance from Wilson. South Carolina will play the winner of Connecticut and Mississippi State in the national title game Sunday night.

The Gamecocks advance to their first-ever championship game after surviving a dreadful second quarter, as South Carolina missed seven consecutive shots and watched a two-point lead turn into a 29-20 deficit by halftime. South Carolina hit just 26 % of its shots in the first half.

But South Carolina was ready for a run of its own after halftime, turning up the tempo on offense as the Gamecocks tried to outrun a Stanford team that wanted to be patient. South Carolina also increased its defensive intensity, helping force Stanford into a scoring drought of more than five minutes.

A three-pointer by guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the second half, and South Carolina never trailed again.

South Carolina forced 16 turnovers, nine of them in the second half, in a defensive performance that was typical for a Gamecocks team known for their aggression and physicality. That defense will be especially challenged in the title game against either UConn or Mississippi State, as both teams have far more explosive scorers than Stanford.

The Cardinal had two players in double figures, Erica McCall and Alanna Smith both with 14. </s> The NCAA women’s basketball tournament started with 64 teams and now is down to two.

One game between Southeastern Conference rivals South Carolina and Mississippi State will determine this year’s champion.

A look at the matchup set for Sunday night.

No. 1 South Carolina (32-4) vs. No. 2 Mississippi State (34-4)

Why South Carolina will win: The Gamecocks have history on their side, having won their last 10 games against Mississippi State, including two contests this year. What makes South Carolina so dangerous is their ability to control the game on both ends of the court – setting the tempo on offense and running behind guards Allisha Gray and Bianca Cuevas-Moore, and aggressive shooting from A’ja Wilson and Kaela Davis. But the Gamecocks might be even better known for their smothering defense, and they have proven earlier this year that they’re the team best-equipped to shut down Mississippi State’s multiple scorers. The Gamecocks can also should take some confidence that they advanced to the final despite an off night offensively in the semifinal against Stanford from both Wilson, who more than made up for a mediocre shooting night with 19 rebounds, and Davis. If either one or both get hot offensively Sunday, that’s good news for South Carolina.

Why Mississippi State will win: If momentum counts for anything, then Mississippi State has to have an edge. The Bulldogs have taken down No. 1 seeds in their last two games, Baylor in the Elite Eight, and then UConn in the Final Four in one of the most memorable women’s basketball games ever. Mississippi State’s defense can completely disrupt an opponent’s offensive game plan, and the fact that the Bulldogs like to use so much of the shot clock while they hold possession, it makes it hard for opponents to keep up. The matchup to watch is in the paint, between the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-7 center Teaira McCown and South Carolina’s 6-5 forward Wilson. And then there’s Mississippi State’s X-Factor, guard Morgan William, who has no fear at taking the big shot in the biggest moments.

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READY TO WIN:Mississippi State showed up intened to shock Connecticut </s> South Carolina forward A'ja Wilson, left, and South Carolina guard Allisha Gray, right, walk to their locker room following a news conference at the women's Final Four college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Dallas. South Carolina will play Mississippi State on Sunday in the NCAA Championship game. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

DALLAS (AP) -- A first-time champion is set to be crowned in women's basketball with an all-Southeastern Conference NCAA title game between South Carolina and Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs will try to knock off a third consecutive No. 1 seed Sunday night, two days after ending UConn's record 111-game winning streak on Morgan William's breathtaking, buzzer-beating jumper.

Both teams are in the title game for the first time. It's Mississippi State's first trip to the Final Four and the second for the Gamecocks, who beat frequent Final Four qualifier Stanford in the semifinals.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley made three Final Fours as a player at Virginia in the early 1990s but never won the title. Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer was on Texas A&M's staff when the Aggies won the championship six years ago.
South Carolina defeats fellow Southeastern Conference team Mississippi State 67–55 for the Gamecocks' first national title.