Notre Dame vs Mississippi State 4/1/18 - NCAAW Picks & Predictions

On Sunday April 1, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play the Mississippi State Bulldogs for the women’s NCAA basketball national championship. The Irish defeated the UConn Huskies on Friday 91-89. Arike Ogunbowale’s shot from the baseline swished through the net giving Notre Dame the two-point Final Four win. UConn was eliminated as an undefeated top seed for the second straight season.

Mississippi State reached the Final Four with its 73-63 overtime Final Four victory over the Louisville Cardinals. Teaira McCowan, the 6-foot-7 played all 45 minutes to lead the Bulldogs to victory. Roshunda Johnson’s basket late in regulation led to overtime and the Bulldogs then disposed of Louisville quite easily in the extra frame. On Friday, Notre Dame only played six players as the team has been decimated with injuries losing four players to ACL tears including Brianna Turner their All-American. The five starters for Notre Dame combined for 89 of the 91 points the Irish scored. Jackie Young led the scoring with 32 points while Ogunbuwale scored 27. Notre Dame avenged a loss to UConn during the regular season, with the big difference being the play of Young, who when the two teams met earlier was in foul trouble and did not contribute much, but on Friday scored 32 and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Mississippi State made a few more big plays on Friday and McCowan continued to impress. She set a single tournament record for rebounds with 92 and still has another game to add to that. She has 28 double-doubles this season a record in the SEC. Mississippi State is now 37-1 in the season with the only loss in the final of the SEC Tournament to South Carolina in a game that McCowan was in foul trouble and the Bulldogs scored their lowest total all season at 51. Victoria Vivians led the Bulldogs with 25 points including five in OT before she fouled out.