UConn Women Upset, Notre Dame Wins 72-63 To Reach Title Game

INDIANAPOLIS -- Even Maya Moore's magic wasn't enough for Connecticut this time.

Sophomore guard Skylar Diggins scored 28 points and hot-shooting Notre Dame upset UConn 72-63 on Sunday night, ending the brilliant career of Moore and the Huskies' quest for a third straight national championship.

Ten years after their last title, the Irish will be playing for another one Tuesday night against Texas A&M, which beat Stanford 63-62 in the first semifinal.

Notre Dame was 0-3 against its Big East rival this season but the Irish had all the answers this time for the Huskies, who lost for just the second time in three seasons. Notre Dame had already beaten Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, ending a 20-game skid against the Volunteers.

Now the Irish have knocked out the two-time defending champions.

Moore finished with 36 points, including 12 straight as she tried to rally the Huskies from a 12-point deficit in the final 6 minutes, but it wasn't enough.

The four-time All-American and AP player of the year was overshadowed by Diggins, the South Bend native who felt right at home in Conseco Fieldhouse, where she led her high school to three straight championships. Now she can add a NCAA championship to that list with a victory Tuesday night.

"We had to be poised, I mean, we had to try to make Maya take tough shots, and I think she did," Diggins said. "And at the end we said, 'We have to stay poised on defense and we have to execute on offense.' We showed a lot more poise than we did in the first three games against Connecticut."

Trailing 34-26 early in the second half, Diggins' three-point play started a 15-4 run by the Irish. Devereaux Peters' added her own three-point play that gave Notre Dame a 38-37 advantage – its first lead since midway through the first half.

Diggins capped the burst with another three-point play that made it 41-38 with 13:17 left and brought the pro-Irish crowd to its feet and left Geno Auriemma's team reeling.

The Irish extended their lead to 47-40 a few minutes later before UConn cut the deficit to four on Bria Hartley's 3-pointer.

Brittany Mallory and Natalie Novosel hit consecutive 3-pointers to make it a 12-point game with just over 7 minutes left. Moore did her best to try to rally her young team, but the Huskies fell short.

Comments

[baybeebluz]

09:24 AM on 04/05/2011

Go Irish!!!

[cybolt]

07:38 PM on 04/04/2011

Wow... wouldnt it be something if UConn had a chance to win *both* the Men's and the Women's title but wound up with NEITHER.

[Dunkleberger Karl]

07:37 PM on 04/04/2011

Uconn cant win it all, maybe after tonight, Uconn, cant win at all

[Mondayboy]

05:19 PM on 04/04/2011

very very for uconn fans

[Lyrhea]

05:06 PM on 04/04/2011

A coach simply cannot put a team on a single player's back because if she has an off night you will lose. And that's what happened. Maya Morre is a terrific player, a bit overblown by the media perhaps, but she definitely has it going. Unfortunately last night she was the only UNCONN player doing much of anything. Her teammates were of little help whereas Skylar Diggins had others who stepped up.

UCONN has had a very good run over the years but it's far better for women's college basketball as a whole if fans get a chance to see other teams and NOT the likes of UCONN, Stamford, Tennessee, Baylor and Rutgers year after year.

My best to Texas A&M and Notre Dame. It'll be a fine game.

[cybolt]

07:37 PM on 04/04/2011

Sounds a little contradictory.
On one hand, you say a coach *cant* put it all on a single player cause you'll lose if she's off.
OTOH, you say Moore was the only one doing anything.

[arrock]

04:20 PM on 04/04/2011

Thank god!! I'm from CT and im so sick of hearing about Womens Basketball..It makes the frontpage every other day....The world could be ending but as long as there is womens hoops in CT that comes first...Its sickening...

[Roger Ochs]

04:28 PM on 04/04/2011

So why not move? They have nothing to break the tedium of politics in places like Maine.

[arrock]

04:52 PM on 04/04/2011

I was here first..Thats why...I actually do have a cabin in Maine but there is no work up there

[tqcobb]

04:08 PM on 04/04/2011

this had the classic recipe for an upset...conference foes meeting for the fourth time, near the underdogs home, playing a team with all the pressure to win...great stuff

[jazzman]

03:56 PM on 04/04/2011

It had to end sometime. It happens to all great teams.

[J0E1]

03:43 PM on 04/04/2011

It's not a very exciting sport when a #2 seed beating a #1 is considered a huge upset.

[Dunkleberger Karl]

07:38 PM on 04/04/2011

Better than a Brown beats a Rhianna!

[Paul The Octopus]

10:05 PM on 04/04/2011

What's a Rhianna?

[kbeeic]

03:26 PM on 04/04/2011

A lot of the sportscasters all across the country, the Kornheisers and the Jim Romes and everybody like that, they knock women's basketball. Embrace women's basketball for what it is. We're not trying to be the men's game; we're trying to be the best women's game we can be.... We do not need to ride the piggybacks of the men's game. We are what we are, and we like it and we're growing.

[Bruce Forbes]

04:08 PM on 04/04/2011

both games last night were excellent.

[Roger Ochs]

04:30 PM on 04/04/2011

Right Effing on!

[r 12ok]

03:09 PM on 04/04/2011

This has been a crazy tourny for both men AND women! Huge upsets on both sides throughout the whole thing!!

Thats why they play the game!

[J0E1]

03:42 PM on 04/04/2011

Huge upsets indeed!  The womens elite eight: 1vs2, 1vs2, 1vs2, 1vs11.  Final four: 1vs2, 1vs2.  Final: 2v2.
 
What an exciting sport!

[r 12ok]

04:05 PM on 04/04/2011

As domininating UCONN has been the last 3-years.. i'd say it's a pretty huge upset...

I was also speaking on behalf of the mens tourny as well, But thanks for the condescending reply.

[Roger Ochs]

04:54 PM on 04/04/2011

It must be nice to be a Moderator and brook no dissent.

[Abdel AlHabbo]

02:51 PM on 04/04/2011

WHOOP! we are the Aggies, the Aggies are we! Were are from Texas AMC! Farmers fight!!

[Mischka Lauren]

02:37 PM on 04/04/2011

Awesome.

[FoundersFan]

02:14 PM on 04/04/2011

What were universally referred to as Maggies in my Aggie tenure (1965-1969) are now nothing but National Champions--softball, track and--very soon--basketball. Aggie guys you better get your athletic acts together and fast. :- )

[319]

02:08 PM on 04/04/2011

Gig 'em Lady Ags... Whoop!