Swish Appeal - NCAA Women's Final Four 2015: UConn and Notre Dame will meet in the national championshipBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2015-04-07T14:00:03-04:00http://www.swishappeal.com/rss/stream/81149262015-04-07T14:00:03-04:002015-04-07T14:00:03-04:00UConn vs. Notre Dame will be about style & pace
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<p>UConn and Notre Dame will meet tonight for the National Championship, for the second year in a row. But how they got there was vastly different, mainly because of style and pace.</p> <p>It will be UCONN and Notre Dame in the championship. The semifinals saw two games, contrasting in pace and ‘drama'. The scores:</p>
<p>Notre Dame 66 South Carolina 65<br> UCONN 81 Maryland 58</p>
<p>In the opener Notre Dame and South Carolina were involved in a faster paced affair.</p>
<p>Possessions: Notre Dame 71 South Carolina 70<br>Offensive efficiency: South Carolina 93 Notre Dame 92</p>
<p>South Carolina won. The efficiency. Studies have shown the team leading in efficiency wins the game 95-97% of the time. To add to Dawn Staley's disappointment of being ever so close, the Gamecocks had the slightest edge in offensive efficiency.</p>
<p>The factor(s) of note: Notre Dame had an excellent 14% TO rate. South Carolina led 37-26 in offensive rebounding percentage. That edge extended possessions and contributed to the Gamecocks outscoring the Irish 48-32 in the paint.</p>
<p>UCONN broke open an 11 point half time lead early after intermission and never looked back. The pace and efficiency.</p>
<p>Possessions: Maryland 64, UCONN 62<br>Efficiency: UCONN 131 Maryland 91</p>
<p>Huskies, the only team of the four to hit the century mark in offensive efficiency and they dominated on that end.</p>
<p>The factor(s) of note: UCONN ‘swept' the Four Factors. Outstanding was their eFG percentage of 61%. UCONN shot 8 of 22 from three for 36%. A scary note, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was not a factor as the UCONN standout was a quiet 1 of 8 (4 points) from the floor. She was heard in other areas handing out a game high 7 assists against one turnover.</p>
<p>A'ja Wilson, a 6-5 freshman, starred for South Carolina scoring a team high 20 points within outstanding 30 efficiency. Brianna Stewart of UCONN had the highest efficiency of the two semifinals at 33. Stewart scored a game high 25 points adding 3 assists and 4 blocks. She shot 7 of 13 from the floor.</p>
<p>The championship featuring Muffet McGraw's 36-2 Notre Dame and UCONN coached by Geno Auriemma, going for national title number 10, has a host of storylines. A priority will be action in the lane.</p>
<p>As noted South Carolina had success against the Irish in the paint. UCONN enjoyed a 40-26 edge over Maryland in that close scoring proximity. Interior defense will be a priority for ND. Stay tuned for a good one.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/7/8361137/tonights-outcome-between-uconn-and-notre-dame-will-come-down-to-styleRay Floriani2015-04-07T11:00:03-04:002015-04-07T11:00:03-04:00Lisa Leslie previews the national championship
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<p>Swish Appeal had a chance to interview WNBA legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player Lisa Leslie on the NCAA women's basketball national championship game between UConn and Notre Dame, as well as the Capital One Cup standings.</p> <p>It's National Championship Tuesday! March Madness is finally about to end, and I can finally get some sleep!</p>
<p>And if you recall, Swish Appeal had a chance to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/4/8337665/ncaa-womens-final-four-2015-lisa-leslie-preview-national-semifinals-capital-one-cup">interview Leslie last Thursday</a> to preview the national semifinals. We also had a chance to interview WNBA legend and now-Naismith and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame player Lisa Leslie on Monday. We already have one part of Monday's interview -- namely her thoughts on being a Hall of Famer -- up on the site. <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/7/8356815/lisa-leslie-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame-honor-interview" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read it.</p>
<p>On this part, Leslie will preview the national championship game between UConn and Notre Dame. For more reading, Brian McCormick <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8354339/national-championship-preview-uconn-vs-notre-dame">has another preview</a> which includes interviews with Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and Irish head coach Muffet McGraw.</p>
<h4><b>1. Notre Dame can't afford to have a long scoring drought against UConn</b></h4>
<p>In their 66-65 win vs. the South Carolina Gamecocks (quick recap <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/5/8350841/notre-dame-vs-south-carolina-ncaa-womens-final-four-2015-recap-jewell-loyd">here</a> and in-depth recap <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8351721/in-depth-recap-of-notre-dames-victory-over-south-carolina">here</a>), the Irish went scoreless from 6:51 to 18 seconds left in the second half. This turned what was once a comfortable Notre Dame lead into what probably should have been a South Carolina upset in my opinion.</p>
<p>Leslie agreed that Notre Dame couldn't afford to do the same again on Tuesday given how well they defended the Maryland Terrapins in their semifinal match (quick recap <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/5/8351203/uconn-vs-maryland-final-score-huskies-blow-out-the-terps-81-55">here </a>and in-depth recap <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8351649/geno-auriemmas-offensive-brilliance-led-to-rout-over-maryland">here</a>). "I believe, that the Terps didn't even get a shot off three times against UConn yesterday," Leslie said. "They almost look like they always get exactly what they want, from an offensive perspective. Notre Dame, yes, they're going to have to be a lot more fluid with their offensive schemes and where their baskets are going to come from."</p>
<p>"They should not go on five to six-minute scoring drought against UConn. [If they do], it's lights out, game over."</p>
<h4><b>2. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis could be a Top-3 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft, but she still has work to do</b></h4>
<p>The UConn senior is best known for her long range shooting and is the NCAA's all-time leading three-point shooter. However, Mosqueda-Lewis was limited to just four points on Sunday against Maryland. That said, she still dished seven assists to lead all players in that game.</p>
<p>Leslie acknowledged that WNBA teams don't need to be worried about an off-game from her. But she was concerned about her conditioning. "I think the biggest thing's going to be for her just being in tip-top shape and ... losing the weight," she said.</p>
<p>"She's going to have to show an improvement because the game will get faster. It will move faster. They will be able to block her shots. They're a lot of adjustments that she may have to make professionally. [Still], she definitely would be in my top three."</p>
<p>In the interview, Leslie believed that she could be a player that the Storm could use the first overall pick in the 2015 Draft on. If not, she believed that the Tulsa Shock could draft her second overall. The interview was held before news reports came out stating that Minnesota center Amanda Zahui B. would<a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8354039/reports-minnesota-center-amanda-zahui-b-declares-for-wnba-draft" target="_blank"> forego her last two seasons of college eligibility</a> in order to declare for the 2015 WNBA Draft.</p>
<h4><b>3. UConn is in position to be in third place for the Capital One Cup in women's sports, but it will be a stretch for them to win it</b></h4>
<p>The UConn Huskies currently have 20 points in the Capital One Cup standings for women's sports, thanks to their 2014-15 field hockey national championship. If they win the women's basketball national championship tonight, the Huskies will get 60 more points and be third place in the standings. Penn State is currently first place with 87 points. Stanford is close behind with 85.5 points.</p>
<p>Even if the Huskies win the women's basketball national championship, they still have spring sports to play like every other Division I school. They don't have a strong women's lacrosse program like Maryland for example, nor a strong outdoor track team like Stanford or Texas A&M. Consequently, Leslie didn't believe that the Huskies would be favored.</p>
<p>"If I had to make my pick, only because I'm closer to the West Coast and I get a chance to see Stanford, they're my pick," Leslie said. "They are built stronger [across multiple sports throughout the season]."</p>
<p><i>Thanks again to Lisa Leslie for checking in with us for the second time in just a few days. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lisaleslie">@LisaLeslie</a> and on Instagram <a href="http://www.instagram.com/lisaleslie">@LisaLeslie</a>. To learn more about the Capital One Cup, <a href="http://www.capitalonecup.com/">click here</a> to get to their site. You can also follow Capital One on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/capitalone">@CapitalOne</a> and Instagram <a href="http://www.instagram.com/capitalone">@capitalone</a>.</i></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/7/8353249/uconn-vs-notre-dame-ncaa-womens-basketball-championship-preview-lisa-leslie-capital-one-cupAlbert Lee2015-04-06T16:30:02-04:002015-04-06T16:30:02-04:00National Championship rematch: UConn vs Notre Dame
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<p>In the rematch of all rematches, it will be once again UConn facing Notre Dame for the National Championship. This has become one of the best rivalries in all of women's basketball, and tomorrow, both teams will compete for the ultimate prize for the second year in a row.</p> <p>I suppose it is nice that UConn and Notre Dame invite two other teams to the party, but the result tends to be the same. For the fifth consecutive season, the two powers will meet in the Final Four. In 2011 and 2012, Notre Dame defeated UConn in the NCAA Semifinals before falling in the championship game, whereas UConn defeated Notre Dame in the 2013 Semifinal and 2014 Championship Game.</p>
<p>In UConn's quest for its third consecutive national championship, and Notre Dame's chase of its second national championship, consider the 2015 NCAA Championship to be Game 5 in the best current rivalry in women's basketball.</p>
<p>While many fans outside of Storrs, CT and South Bend, IN may have tired of the annual matchup between UConn and Notre Dame, the 2015 Championship Game will feature a matchup of the two best (recent) programs, two best coaches, and two best players (Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart). For neutrals, UConn and Notre Dame represent the best possible matchup.</p>
<p>Detractors will point to UConn's 21-point victory in last year's final as well as its 76-58 victory in December in a game played at Notre Dame as reasons to ignore the inevitable.</p>
<p>However, Notre Dame was missing Brianna Turner in December due to a right shoulder injury, and she was the catalyst early in the victory over South Carolina, finishing with 17 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out with 3 minutes to play. "I think that we are a much better team with her on the floor," McGraw, much like Captain Obvious, pointed out.</p>
<p>In fact, despite South Carolina's perceived advantage inside, it was the Notre Dame front court of Turner, Taya Reimer, and Kathryn Westbeld who accounted for 37 points on 15-for-26 shooting, while the backcourt players shot 11-for-38 and finished with 29 points.</p>
<p>After the game, when asked about the play of her star freshman, Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw said, "I thought for her first Final Four, she played extremely well defensively and offensively. And I know if you asked her she'd probably say she didn't play very well, but I'm so happy with her potential and where she's going to be." If she did not play well on Sunday, watch out!</p>
<p>South Carolina's front court was long and talented, but nobody features a front court as talented and versatile as UConn. The matchup with Notre Dame, however, is intriguing because of the freshman Turner. Stewart is the two-time Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, and the reigning NCAA Player of the Year, but Turner has the length and athleticism to match up with her.</p>
<p>The ability to match up with a player, and stop the player, are two different things, but how many people predicted that Madison Cable would stop All-American Tiffany Mitchell for large parts of the National Semifinal?</p>
<p>Early Sunday, Turner demonstrated her versatility, sprinting the court for a layup, blocking shots, diving to the rim on a pick-and-roll, and otherwise dominating the first six minutes of the game in a way that a freshman shouldn't.</p>
<p>UConn's Geno Auriemma said, "You watch her and physically she just runs right by you. If she can't run by you, she just jumps over you. So she impacts the game in a way that the rest of their post players can't." Notre Dame will need her defense to slow down Stewart.</p>
<p>When asked about Stewart, McGraw said, "Well, she is a difficult matchup because of her size and her ability to play on the perimeter and on the inside. So we've got a couple of ideas that we're going to try."</p>
<p>McGraw was able to create a defensive game-plan that contained an All-American on Sunday, but with no disrespect to Mitchell, Stewart is another task. McGraw added, "I don't think anybody's been very successful with her this year." McGraw's ability to deploy a defensive scheme, potentially centered around the length and athleticism of Turner, may be the deciding factor in whether or not Notre Dame can capture its elusive second title.</p>
<p>Offensively, Notre Dame's superstar Jewell Loyd had a subpar game on Sunday. She scored 22 points, but attempted 24 shots. She only managed to get to the free-throw line 3 times. A player with Loyd's talent rarely has two consecutive rough outings, and she is a big-game player.</p>
<p>Loyd is the type of off the dribble superstar who can control and win a game in the current point guard era. As UConn's Geno Auriemma said, "I watch her play and I think there's something about her that is different than any other woman playing college basketball today.</p>
<p>It's just something, she just has something, she has the way she moves, the way she touches the ball, the way the ball comes out of her hands. She just has something." Notre Dame hopes that something is enough on Tuesday to lead the irish.</p>
<p>With a bounce back game expected for Loyd, the key to the game will be Notre Dame's ability to slow down UConn, and McGraw's game-plan and Turner's defense will be keys for the Irish. If McGraw can neutralize one or more of UConn's stars as she did with Mitchell, and Loyd plays up to her expectations, Notre Dame should have a chance in the last 5 minutes.</p>
<p>UConn's advantage, of course, is that it has four more stars to take over a game when one star is neutralized or has a bad game. The expectation will be that Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis will bounce back after her 1-for-5 shooting from the three-point line and shoot more like the all-time leader in three-point baskets.</p>
<p>Figuring out a way to stop the vaunted UConn offense will not be easy, but McGraw has been in this situation before, and has shown her ability to be the foil to Geno and the Huskies.</p>
<p>While many women's basketball fans may have lost interest in the re-match or a re-match, the fifth game of a 5-game series is almost always exciting. McGraw said, "I think it's a rivalry people want to see," which may or may not be true, when talking to fans of women's basketball.</p>
<p>The problem for the rest of the Division 1 teams in America is that, regardless of the result on Tuesday, recent history suggests that the 2016 Final Four will feature another re-match, as both teams will return most of its rotation and add top 10 ranked recruits into the mix.</p>
<p>In the world of women's basketball, the rich get richer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. How many sports feature the best teams, best players, and best coaches in its championship game?</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8354339/national-championship-preview-uconn-vs-notre-dameSwish Appeal AdminBrian McCormick2015-04-06T15:45:34-04:002015-04-06T15:45:34-04:00Brianna Turner & A'ja Wilson are future superstars
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<p>In yesterday's semifinal game between Notre Dame and South Carolina, not only was it an instant classic, there were two players that shined on the game's big stage: Brianna Turner and A'ja Wilson. Both are freshman, and if yesterday was any indication, their futures are even brighter.</p> <p>UConn's Breanna Stewart and Notre Dame's Jewel Loyd may be the present, but South Carolina's Aja Wilson and Notre Dame's Brianna Turner lived up to their lofty high-school rankings (the #1 and #2 ranked players in the 2014 class) and demonstrated that they are the future.</p>
<p>After watching Wilson and Turner play like the two best players on the court for much of Sunday's national semifinal, would anyone complain about a rematch in next year's national semifinal or championship game?</p>
<p>Following in Stewart's footsteps as uber-talented, lanky, athletic, skilled do-everything forwards, Wilson and Turner carried their teams for parts of the national semifinal between Notre Dame and South Carolina when their more heralded, veteran leaders struggled.</p>
<p>With Madison Cable face-guarding South Carolina's leading scorer Tiffany Mitchell, who finished with 11 points, and Mitchell frustrating Loyd, who finished with 22 points on 24 shots, Wilson and Turner demonstrated the skills that earned them their lofty expectations entering the season. Wilson finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds in only 24 minutes, while Turner finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds, but the numbers fail to capture their brilliance or influence on the game.</p>
<p>On back-to-back plays in the first half, Wilson rebounded a miss and slalomed down court with the dribble, avoiding smaller defenders and finishing at the rim. Not to be outdone, on the subsequent possession, Turner out-jumped a defender, caught a pass in the air, and, while being knocked to the ground, finished a layup.</p>
<p>The scariest thing about the two plays is that they did not seem extraordinary; the more that they played, the more that these plays were expected; they may not have been their most amazing plays of the night. Asked about Turner, Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw said, "Yeah, she has amazing talent."</p>
<p>Notre Dame's matchup against UConn in the championship game features the season's two best players, but the semifinal Sunday night with South Carolina provided a glimpse of the future. Wilson and Turner have size, speed, athleticism, and skill.</p>
<p>As they gain experience and understanding under their terrific coaches, they have the potential to explode over the next three years. There is a reason they were ranked as the #1 and #2 players in their senior class: They possess all the size and skill that a coach could want in a young player.</p>
<p>As that skill is refined, and they add strength in their college years, their potential is limited only by their work ethic and imagination.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8354707/two-of-college-basketball-brightest-stars-shined-last-nightSwish Appeal AdminBrian McCormick2015-04-06T09:30:02-04:002015-04-06T09:30:02-04:00UConn's offensive system led to rout over Maryland
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<p>When many people see the rout that is the outcomes of most UConn victories, so many assume that it's because the Huskies have better players -- which they do. But in their victory over Maryland, Geno Auriemma's offensive system was on full display, and had a lot to do with Sunday's outcome. </p> <p>Tampa, FL -- In the first semifinal of the 2015 NCAA Final Four, Notre Dame won despite going more than 7 minutes without scoring prior to the game-winning basket. In the second semifinal, UConn had no such problems, as the <a href="http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/040515aaa.html">Huskies beat Maryland 81-58</a>.</p>
<p>UConn has an abundance of talented players, and it is easy to point to the talent to explain their success. Beyond talent, however, the Huskies have talented players who can shoot, and they move the ball to find open shots for these shooters.</p>
<p>Whereas, South Carolina forced Notre Dame to take a number of tough shots, especially nearly all of Jewel Loyd's shots, and Notre Dame made things equally difficult on USC. UConn seemed to find open shots nearly every time down the court and shot 53.7% for the game.</p>
<p>UConn puts so much pressure on an opponent's defense because of its shooting. Its starting five features five three-point shooting threats. The Huskies made 8 three-pointers and shot 36.4% from the three-point line in a game where the NCAA all-time leader in three-point shots made, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (KML), shot 1 of 5 three-point shots. While KML struggled, the Huskies starting posts, Morgan Tuck and Breanna Stewart, made 2-for-4 and 2-for-6 respectively.</p>
<p>In addition to the three-point shooting, the threat of the three-pointer leads to wide open layups for UConn. In the 1st Half, UConn ran a simple X play run by numerous high school teams. KML passed to Stewart in the high post and cut toward the right block. Kiah Stokes set a down screen for KML who cut toward the three-point line. Both defenders went with KML, leaving Stokes to slip to the basket for an open layup.</p>
<p>Later, Stewart set an on-ball screen for Moriah Jefferson and received a flare screen from Tuck. Both defenders went with Stewart because of the threat of her shooting, and Tuck dove to the basket wide open. This is the problem that UConn presents: For the majority of the game, it has five shooters, whereas most of its competitors hope to have two or three shooters.</p>
<p>UConn is talented and well-prepared for each game. Their defense is phenomenal. They pressure the ball, and manage not to commit too many fouls, which keeps their opponents off the free-throw line: Maryland attempted only 6 free throws.</p>
<p>However, it is their shooting, and the threat of their shooting, that differentiates UConn from its opponents. Their shooting puts pressure on the opponent's defense, and they rarely have long stretches without scoring, which puts pressure on their opponent's offense to keep pace.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8351649/geno-auriemmas-offensive-brilliance-led-to-rout-over-marylandSwish Appeal AdminBrian McCormick2015-04-06T08:30:02-04:002015-04-06T08:30:02-04:00Muffet McGraw audibles to defense
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<p>In Notre Dame's comeback victory over South Carolina, it wasn't really about their offense. The Fighting Irish's defensive adjustments -- especially head coach Muffet McGraw's quick thinking -- proved to be perfect call in the waning moments of a tight contest.</p> <p>The adage is that talent wins games. Throughout the weekend at the WBCA Convention at the women's Final Four, many coaches have lamented the unequal playing field due to conferences, money, locations, schools, and more that lead to some schools possessing an abundance of talent, while others lack the nationally-known names.</p>
<p>Despite the talent on the court in the opening game of the 2015 Final Four, including a battle of the top two players in the class of 2014, Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw demonstrated the importance of coaching.</p>
<p>Notre Dame has talent. Many believed that Jewell Loyd should have been the NCAA Player of the Year, and Brianna Turner was last year's #2 ranked recruit. However, it was McGraw's gameplan that ultimately made the difference. McGraw employed a triangle-and-2 defense and used Madison Cable and Hannah Huffman to face-guard South Carolina's Tiffany Mitchell for much of the game.</p>
<p>Mitchell took 11 shots to score her 11 points, but failed to get to the free-throw line. With Mitchell stymied, the Gamecocks most consistent offense was offensive rebounding. Freshmen A'ja Wilson led USC with 20 points and 9 rebounds, but senior Aleighsa Welch grabbed 9 of her teams 16 offensive rebounds.</p>
<p>With Mitchell denied, Notre Dame forced the ball into the hands of reluctant shooters who either refused to shoot or missed open or semi-contested shots. With Welch dominating the backboards, USC often had more than one opportunity to score, but their 2-for-12 shooting from the three-point line and 7-for-16 shooting at the free-throw line ultimately was their undoing.</p>
<p>Despite the problems shooting the basketball, USC had one last chance to call timeout and run a play with 14 seconds remaining to win the game. About the final play, USC head coach Dawn Staley said, "It was just horn's action, a play that was pretty effective for us all game.</p>
<p>"But they were hedging out and they made it difficult for her [Mitchell] to have an angle to get to the basket. They did a really good job of shading her and forcing her outside of the paint."</p>
<p>Ultimately, the play proved predictable, as McGraw was again one step ahead. She said, "We thought that Mitchell would get the ball and there would probably be a ball screen involved. We talked about how important it was going to be.</p>
<p>"Because we were still in the triangle and 2 at that point. We talked about how important it was going to be for the person to come out and hedge on the ball screen. And I thought that was probably as good a hedge as we've had."</p>
<p>McGraw foresaw the play and her players were prepared. She had the answers for the size of South Carolina, and led the Irish to what has become a predictable season-ending game against UConn. Despite her gameplan and preparation, the old adage is true: Players have to make plays.</p>
<p>In this case, McGraw summoned the junior Huffman for the biggest defensive possession of her life. After sitting on the bench for most of the second half, and totaling only 5 minutes on the night, she was thrust into action to defend the All-American Mitchell.</p>
<p>With some help from her teammates, Huffman forced Mitchell away from the basket and into the corner. Mitchell managed only a desperation heave toward the basket, as once again McGraw's decision paid off and the Irish moved into a date with UConn on Tuesday night in the National Championship game with a <a href="http://www.und.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/040515aaa.html">hard-fought 66-65 victory</a>.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8351685/notre-dames-defensive-adjustments-led-to-semifinal-win-muffet-mcgrawSwish Appeal AdminBrian McCormick2015-04-06T08:00:02-04:002015-04-06T08:00:02-04:00In-depth recap of Notre Dame's victory over USC
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<p>A classic kicked off the 2015 Women's Final Four, and Muffet McGraw's Irish head back to the national championship game for the fourth time in five years. </p> <p>The last in a series of valiant comebacks by the SEC Champions fell microscopically short, allowing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to hold off the South Carolina Gamecocks 66-65 in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship semifinal. With the win UND returns to play in the title game for the second consecutive year.</p>
<p>The Irish almost led from box-to-wire, jumping out to a 15-3 lead gifted by an ice cold Gamecocks squad starting just 1-10 from the floor. "I don't think it was nerves... that's kind of what's been happening to us," said USC head coach Dawn Staley, appearing in her first Final Four as a coach after being in three as a player at Virginia. "I mean, it's just bad plays, bad decisions at the beginning of the game."</p>
<p>The Irish seemed to switch a bevy of junk defenses practically each possession, confusing South Carolina while allowing a bigger Gamecocks team to put up mid-range and perimeter jumpers.</p>
<p>"We went triangle-and-two... box-and-one... 1-2-2 (zone)" said Muffet McGraw, coaching in her seventh Final Four. "We played a couple of possessions of man-to-man, played a little 2-3 (zone), throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them trying to figure out a way to stop them.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure if you can say they have a weakness, but we thought that pick your poison, we were going to let them take jumpers. We were giving up pretty much everybody except for Mitchell and Roy, when she came in the game. So we tried to pack it in on the post, which they still did a really great job of scoring against us."</p>
<p>The expected rebounding edge did appear from the deeper and bigger South Carolina, who won 45-37 on the boards overall and 16-10 on the offensive glass. But Notre Dame did just enough to force the SEC champions into tough mid-range jumpers, and recovered just enough rebounds to keep their edge through most of the contest.</p>
<p>USC shot 68% from the foul line this season but did itself no favors by going just 7-16 from the stripe, including an 0-5 from Alaina Coates, normally a 72% FT shooter.</p>
<p>Aided by the foul disqualification of both Brianna Turner (3:11 left) and Lindsay Allen (1:39 left) late in the game, the Gamecocks flew forward on a 13-0 run to take their first lead at 65-64 with just 1:12 to play. Senior forward Aleighsa Welch's layup was the go-ahead basket, then she picked the pocket of UND's Jewell Loyd to set up a the last three possessions that would determine victory.</p>
<p>A missed baseline jumper by Welch that seemed destined to go in with 30 seconds left begat a rebound by Loyd. The Irish leading scorer on the night with 22 points dribbled coast-to-coast and pulled up for a jumper to retake the lead. But her shot was tipped by South Carolina's A'ja Wilson, and the carom landed in the hands of ND's Madison Cable.</p>
<p>Cable hadn't scored in 21 minutes of play yet, focusing mostly on stopping USC's All-American Tiffany Stewart on the other end. Her fourth shot of the night was the first to score, giving the Irish a one-point lead with 16 seconds to play.</p>
<p>USC dribbled to the frontcourt and called timeout, but it seemed everyone in the building knew what would happen.</p>
<p>"We thought that Mitchell would get the ball and there would probably be a ball screen," McGraw said postgame. Brian McCormick (also writing for Swish Appeal) sat next to me and said before the play that USC would set a high ball screen for Stewart. Steve Spurrier, Darius Rucker, and the rest of Hootie & The Blowfish knew USC would set a high ball screen for Stewart.</p>
<p>But ND hedged hard and beautifully, got a deflection, and forced an off-balance heave from near the hash mark by Stewart that wasn't close when the buzzer sounded.</p>
<p>With the win Notre Dame earned a rematch with UConn for the national championship, and a repeat of the 2014 title game. They are a would-be dynasty if not for their opponent on Tuesday night, but will once again face the only non-professional women's basketball team on earth that makes them a double-digit underdog.</p>
<p>Last year both teams entered the final game undefeated, but ND lost by 21. And as lauded as Notre Dame deservedly continues to be, it would be hard to envision an outcome that isn't similar 364 days later in the rematch.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/6/8351721/in-depth-recap-of-notre-dames-victory-over-south-carolinaSwish Appeal AdminCollin Sherwin2015-04-05T23:25:00-04:002015-04-05T23:25:00-04:00UConn blows out Maryland, advances to title game
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<p>Maryland's potent three-guard attack was not enough to stop the UConn Huskies from doing UConn things.</p> <p style="white-space: normal;">Maryland came into this game on a 28-game winning streak off the three-guard attack of Laurin Mincy, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, and Lexie Brown. But they weren't able to get the UConn Huskies off of their game, and lost 81-58.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal;">Of the Terps' starting guard trio, only Brown scored in double digits for the Terps. Meanwhile, UConn's frontcourt was key to winning this game as Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Morgan Tuck scored 24 more to fuel the Huskies to their third consecutive national championship game.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal;">In the first half, the two teams played a relatively even first few minutes. Sure, they were able to hold Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis to just three points. But in order to beat the Huskies, Maryland had to play their best game offensively AND defensively. They shot a respectable 48.4% from the field, but UConn shot 56.7% with Moriah Jefferson and Tuck combining for 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting at that time.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal;">Even though this game was still not out of reach at the start of the second half, the Huskies went on a 9-0 run to take a 53-33 lead, which effectively closed the door on any hope of a Terrapin comeback.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal;">Maryland may have lost this game by a big margin, but they will enter next season with most of their key players back. The Terps will lose Laurin Mincy to graduation, and she could be a WNBA Draft pick. But Walker-Kimbrough, Brown will return, as well as center Brionna Jones.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal;">UConn will play rival Notre Dame on Tuesday in a rematch of the 2014 National Championship game. The Huskies will be favored to win, but the Irish will do what they can to pull off a major upset.</p>
<p style="white-space: normal;"><b>More notes:</b></p>
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<li><span>The Huskies only played seven players tonight. In addition to the starting lineup of Stewart, Mosqueda-Lewis, Tuck, Jefferson, and Kia Nurse, only Kiah Stokes and Gabby Williams saw game action. Meanwhile, the Terps played 11 players tonight.</span></li>
<li><span>The Terps did shoot 48.4% from the field in the first as mentioned above, but their offense stagnated in the second. They only ended up shooting 40.7% overall for the game.</span></li>
<li><span>Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had an ineffective game as a scorer, where she only scored four points on 1 of 8 shooting. But she dished seven assists to lead all players. I'll also add that she only committed one turnover so this was an excellent performance from her as a playmaker.</span></li>
</ul>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/5/8351203/uconn-vs-maryland-final-score-huskies-blow-out-the-terps-81-55Albert Lee