Irish upset Lady Vols to advance to Final Four
No team has ever been so happy to be 1-20. Skylar Diggins scored 24 points and second-seeded Notre Dame made up for 28 years of beatings at the hands of Tennessee, upsetting the top-seeded Lady Vols, 73-59, last night in the Dayton (Ohio) Regional final to earn a spot in the Final Four.
No team has ever been so happy to be 1-20.
Skylar Diggins scored 24 points and second-seeded Notre Dame made up for 28 years of beatings at the hands of Tennessee, upsetting the top-seeded Lady Vols, 73-59, last night in the Dayton (Ohio) Regional final to earn a spot in the Final Four.
"We went into the locker room after the game and the first thing the team said was, '1-and-20! 1-and-20!' " coach Muffet McGraw said with a laugh.
The Fighting Irish (30-7) came in 0-20 all-time against the Lady Vols (34-3). But the operative number on this night was 3-0 - Notre Dame's record in regional championship games. The Irish are headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, when they won the national championship.
Natalie Novosel added 17 points and Becca Bruszewski - who didn't practice Sunday due to a knee injury and was listed as questionable to even play - had 13 for the Fighting Irish. Brittany Mallory chipped in with 10 points.
Notre Dame advanced to the play the winner of the Philadelphia Regional final between top-ranked Connecticut (35-1) and second-seeded Duke (32-3) tonight at the Liacouras Center.
McGraw, a former Saint Joseph's standout, said she has a clear rooting interest.
"We're definitely cheering for the Big East," she said, referring to Connecticut. "We'd like to have two Final Four teams from the Big East."
Spokane Regional
* At Spokane, Wash., Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 23 points and 11 rebounds, sister Chiney chipped in with 18 points, and top-seeded Stanford (33-2) beat Gonzaga, 83-60, to head to its fourth straight Final Four. The Cardinal will play the winner of tonight's Dallas Regional final, Texas A&M (30-5) vs. Baylor (34-2). *