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In the first game of Friday’s Final Four, Baylor beat Oregon 72-67 on the strength of their two post players, Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox, who combined for 43 points.
Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu led her team with 18 points, but was held scoreless in the first and final frames of the game.
The Ducks opened the game with an 11-4 lead, but Baylor closed the first quarter on a 15-4 run to lead 19-14. An Ionescu four-point play gave the Ducks the 34-33 lead going into the halftime break.
Baylor focused on its size advantage over Oregon in the second half, scoring 28 points in the paint. Baylor would regain the lead going into the fourth quarter, 56-55.
With about eight minutes left in the quarter and trailing by four, Oregon went on a 7-0 run to regain the lead, 64-61. Baylor’s defense held the Ducks scoreless over the next five and a half minutes until Satou Sabally made a three-point shot to tie the game at 67 a side with one minute and forty seconds left.
Chloe Jackson gave the Lady Bears the lead with a layup off the right side with about forty seconds left in the game, and Baylor never looked back.
Baylor advances to face Notre Dame in the national title game, where both are attempting become the third women’s program to win at least three national championships, joining Connecticut and Tennessee.
NCAAW National Championship
National Championship
When: Sunday, April 7, at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
How to watch: ESPN, WatchESPN
More ways to watch the games
Want to watch in person? National championship tickets can be found here.