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> 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.

BIGGEST STAR:She’s only 5-5, but Morgan William is carry Mississippi State

READY TO WIN:Mississippi State showed up intened to shock Connecticut </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 -- South Carolina was able to speed up the tempo after halftime, A'ja Wilson managed a double-double even while almost constantly surrounded by defenders and Dawn Staley finally got a win against Tara VanDerveer.

With all that, the Gamecocks are going to their first national championship after beating Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the women's national semifinals. The Cardinal led early, but struggled after star Karlie Samuelson sprained her ankle.

"I can't even put into words the feeling that I have right now. This is a very special team," said Wilson, who had 13 points and 19 rebounds. "I feel like we've earned this spot that we're in now. We know that we're not done. But just the feeling of just making history at your school is just something really special."

Allisha Gray scored 18 points for the Gamecocks (32-4), who lost in the semifinal of their only other Final Four appearance two years ago.

They will play Mississippi State in an all-SEC matchup for the national title after the Lady Bulldogs upset UConn 66-64 in overtime. That ended the four-time defending national champion Huskies' 111-game winning streak.

Down 29-20 at halftime, South Carolina went ahead to stay with 13 straight points in the third quarter.

"The second half, I thought we just imposed our will from a defensive standpoint, sped the game up, and got playing at a pace which benefited our style of play," Staley said.

Stanford (32-6) took a big hit when Samuelson hurt her right ankle with about 4 1/2 minutes before halftime, after the Cardinal had taken an eight-point lead with a 13-1 run.

"Karlie twisting her ankle really kind of gave us a tough time," VanDerveer said. "She's really been the glue to our team all year. She talks, she makes big shots. If someone told before the game she won't score, I'd say we're in trouble. ... Psychologically and physically, it was a challenge."

Samuelson was injured when she was making a move toward the basket, and stepped on the foot of South Carolina guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore. Samuelson's right foot then slid onto the floor before twisting awkwardly. The senior guard grabbed near her ankle with both hands after falling down.

Two teammates came off the bench to carry Samuelson off the floor. She returned for the first 73 seconds after halftime, and got back in several times after that without making much of an impact.

"It hurt really bad when it happened," said Samuelson, who was scoreless in 25 minutes. "I sprained my ankle and we just didn't get the win."

The senior guard's younger sister, Katie Lou, played for UConn in the second semifinal game Friday night in the home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Erica McCall had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinal, but made only 7 of 19 shots. Alanna Smith had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

South Carolina went ahead 35-33 when Wilson, with defenders around her like most of the night, found Cuevas-Moore open for a 3-pointer that she hit from right in front her teammates on the bench during that big run.

Stanford missed three shots on its next possession, and South Carolina quickly extended the lead on freshman Tyasha Harris' one-handed bullet pass to Doniyah Cline, who was open under the basket for a layup.

That was the only assist for Harris, who finished with 10 points.

"She was shocked and amazed just like us," Harris said of Staley. "We just made history and she'd never done it before."

STALEY VS TARA: Staley played for VanDerveer on the U.S. women's team that won the 1996 Olympic gold medal. Staley had been 0-5 as a coach against her. "You'd think at some point the law of averages should play out," she said, smiling. Staley also made three consecutive Final Four appearances as a player for Virginia from 1990-92. Two of those included semifinal losses to VanDerveer and the Cardinal on way to their only national titles (1990, 1992).

BEING SURROUNDED: "Of course, it was very frustrating. It was very tough to remain tough. But it was something I've seen before in the SEC," Wilson said of all the defenders around her.

BIG PICTURE

Stanford: The Cardinal, who were down by nine points in the fourth quarter, couldn't pull off another comeback. They had trailed by at least seven points in six games it has come back to win this season. That includes five of their previous six games, all in the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournaments. They were down by 16 points after halftime in the regional final game against Notre Dame.

South Carolina: The victory kept up a big run by the South Carolina basketball teams. The men's team takes on Gonzaga in the Final Four on Saturday. </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> 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. </s> DALLAS, Texas — Mississippi State brought Connecticut and its 111-game winning streak crashing down.

Guard Morgan William hit a 10-foot jumper at the buzzer and the Bulldogs grasped a 66-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament semifinals that shocked the college basketball nation Friday night at the American Airlines Center.

“I got enough space, I jumped up and made the shot,” William said. “I was in shock. I’m still in shock. I’m over here like, ‘Man, I just won the game.’”

The Bulldogs led 64-62 before a flagrant foul call on Mississippi State guard Dominique Dillingham allowed Connecticut’s Katie Lou Samuelson to tie the game at the free-throw line with 26.6 seconds remaining in the extra period.

But the Huskies couldn’t score on the ensuing possession as Mississippi State created a turnover to set up William’s decisive shot.

Guard Victoria Vivians scored 19 points to lead Mississippi State. William finished with 13, forward Breanna Richardson added 12 and forward Teaira McCowan pitched in 10.

Forward Gabby Williams scored 21 to lead the Huskies and Samuelson finished with 15.

Connecticut (36-1), in its 10th straight Final Four, will not get a chance to add to its streak of four consecutive national championships. But Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said he wasn’t surprised by the result.

“We’re playing way above our years and way above our experience level,” Auriemma said. “Tonight, it caught up to us. When we really needed to be a little more mature with what we’re doing, we didn’t have it. A big part of that was because of what they were doing.”

Mississippi State (34-4) advances to play South Carolina in an All-Southeastern Conference title game on Sunday evening back at the American Airlines Center. The Bulldogs finished one game behind South Carolina in the SEC standings.

Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and the Bulldogs players said they believed they could win the game even before taking a big lead in the first half.

“Obviously, I’m extremely proud of my group,” Shaefer said. “What an unbelievable, gutsy performance that no one in the country probably thought could happen. But we knew it could happen.”

Vivians drove baseline and spun to get an open look that she converted to give Mississippi State a 56-52 lead with 3:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, forcing Auriemma to call timeout.

The Huskies scored seven straight points, but Vivians hit a 3-pointer that gave Mississippi State a 60-59 lead with 1:14 remaining.

UConn’s Napheesa Collier hit a free throw to tie it at 60 with 27 seconds left and Williams blocked William’s last-second attempt to win the game in regulation.

Earlier, Mississippi State had gone ahead by 10 when Richardson hit a jumper 20 seconds into the second half.

The Huskies went on a 12-1 run and took their first lead of the game when Collier hit a jumper in the lane, putting Connecticut in front 40-39 with 6:14 to go in the third quarter.

“I knew we were in good shape,” Auriemma said. “We knew it was going to be only a matter of five, six minutes before we got it back. But (Mississippi State was) just better.”

A year ago, Mississippi State fell behind the Huskies by 28 points after the first quarter when Connecticut handed the Bulldogs a 60-point loss in the Sweet 16.

Mississippi State flipped the script on Connecticut this time around as the Bulldogs claimed a 16-point lead early in the second quarter.

“We had our pride stepped on last year,” Schaefer said. “Because of that, these three right here (Vivians, Richardson and William at the postgame press conference) and the rest of their teammates, they’ve kind of been on a little bit of a mission.”

Vivians, who led Mississippi State with 12 points in the first half, made a layup to put the Bulldogs ahead 29-13 with 7:36 left until halftime.

But Connecticut fired back at that point.

Guard Saniya Chong sparked the Huskies by scoring seven during a 12-0 run to close the gap. Chong capped the surge with a 3-pointer that cut Mississippi State’s lead to 29-25 with 3:44 left in the second quarter.

Mississippi State still took an eight-point lead to halftime after out-rebounding the Huskies 21-11 in the first 20 minutes.

The Bulldogs scored 12 second-chance points in the first half while holding Connecticut to a single offensive rebound in the same period. </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.
The MSU Bulldogs advance to the title game against fellow Southeastern Conference team South Carolina, which defeated Stanford 62–53 in the evening's other semifinal.