Written by Adrian Beecher
Dallas, TX - A’Ja Wilson’s double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds helped lead here South Carolina Gamecocks to a 67-55 National Title win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After the game, Wilson was named the most outstanding player in the tournament. Early on the Bulldogs controlled the game, then in the 2nd quarter South Carolina really took over. Here’s how it all went down.
Mississippi State won the tipoff and quickly got to work with a triple from Victoria Vivians. The first basket of the night for the Gamecocks came on a free throw from Tyasha Harris as she hit 1 of two. Back at the other end of the floor, Vivian added a jumper and then McCowan followed it up with a layup to make it 7-1 Bulldogs with 7:45 left in the 1st quarter.
The Gamecocks would then get their first field goal of the game with a bucket from A'Ja Wilson to start a 6-0 run as the Gamecocks tied the game up at 7 with 5:47 left in the quarter. Domonique Dillingham would get in a basket from the Bulldogs to end the run and regain the lead. They would push that lead back to 4 points before the Gamecocks tied it all up at 12 points with 3:01 left in the quarter on a layup by Allisha Gray.
The Gamecocks took their first lead of the game shortly after and added to it with free throws from Gray as the 1st quarter came to an end with the Gamecocks on a 6-0 run leading 18-14.
The run continued for South Carolina into the 2nd quarter with Gray hitting a layup and getting fouled. She connected on the free throw to give the Gamecocks a 21-14 lead on Mississippi State. The 9-0 by USC run was ended by Bulldogs point guard Morgan William on a layup with 7:41 left in the half. But this didn’t slow down the Gamecocks as they extended their lead to 9 points as the Bulldogs were forced to call a timeout to try and find a way to end the 11-2 run by South Carolina.
Out of the timeout, Mississippi State turned the ball over. However, they were able to force USC into a turnover as well and get to the free throw line. Morgan William put both in to make it just a 7 point deficit with 5:36 left in the half. Shortly after though, another 6-0 run from the Gamecocks would make it 31-18 South Carolina with 3:39 left in the half.
Quick baskets from Dillingham and Chinwe Okorie for Mississippi State cut the deficit to just 9 with 2:15 left. The rest of the half was back and fourth, with the Gamecocks heading into the locker room at the half with a 36-26 lead. Halfway through it was Allisha Gray and A’Ja Wilson leading the way for the Gamecocks with 11 points each. For the Bulldogs, it was Victoria Vivians leading the way with 7 points.
In the second half, the Bulldogs got the scoring started with 2 free throws from Vivians. Then back-to-back buckets from South Carolina made it a 12-point game with 8:36 left in the 3rd quarter. Shortly after, two free throws from A’Ja Wilson made it a 14 point lead for South Carolina, their biggest lead of the game to this point. The Bulldogs would answer with a triple from Dillingham to cut the deficit to 11.
However, after a bucket and a made free throw from Harris, the Gamecocks were back on top by 14 with 5:39 left to play. Then a short little 5-0 run for the Bulldogs cut the lead to 9 before the under 5-minute timeout in the 3rd quarter. Out of the timeout, William got a steal and a quick bucket for the Bulldogs. Then another turnover for South Carolina resulted in a jumper from Ketara Chapel to cut it to just 5 points with 3:37 left in the quarter.
After nearly 4 minutes without a field goal, South Carolina’s Allisha Gray was able to put in a layup, ending what was an 8-0 run for Mississippi State. Shortly after, the Bulldogs were able to cut the deficit to just 4 points on a set of free throws from McCowan. Then it was USC putting in two baskets before the end of the 3rd quarter, including a buzzer-beater from Kalea Davis to make it 52-44 with the Gamecocks on top with only one quarter remaining to determine a National Champion.
Getting the scoring started in the second half was the Bulldogs with a bucket from McCowan that cut it to 6. Then a quickly followed bucket from South Carolina pushed it right back to 8. After some stout defensive play, Mississippi State was able to get in tow free throws and a bucket to cut it to a 4 point game with just 6:52 left to play.
Gray and Wilson had been the key all day for the Gamecocks, and they showed up once again with back to back bucket’s to once again push their lead back to 8 points. This forced the Bulldogs to take a timeout with just 4:47 left to play. Out of the timeout, it was Breanna Richardson putting in the quick basket for Mississippi State to make it a 6-point game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs after their score, the Gamecocks opened up an 8-0 run that made it 66-52 South Carolina with just 1:29 left to play.
That would be more that enough to seal the deal in the end. The Bulldogs would only add three points before the final buzzer, and when that buzzer sounded it was official, the South Carolina Gamecocks are the 2017 Women’s NCAA Basketball Champion’s with a 67-55 victory.
Mississippi State won the tipoff and quickly got to work with a triple from Victoria Vivians. The first basket of the night for the Gamecocks came on a free throw from Tyasha Harris as she hit 1 of two. Back at the other end of the floor, Vivian added a jumper and then McCowan followed it up with a layup to make it 7-1 Bulldogs with 7:45 left in the 1st quarter.
The Gamecocks would then get their first field goal of the game with a bucket from A'Ja Wilson to start a 6-0 run as the Gamecocks tied the game up at 7 with 5:47 left in the quarter. Domonique Dillingham would get in a basket from the Bulldogs to end the run and regain the lead. They would push that lead back to 4 points before the Gamecocks tied it all up at 12 points with 3:01 left in the quarter on a layup by Allisha Gray.
The Gamecocks took their first lead of the game shortly after and added to it with free throws from Gray as the 1st quarter came to an end with the Gamecocks on a 6-0 run leading 18-14.
The run continued for South Carolina into the 2nd quarter with Gray hitting a layup and getting fouled. She connected on the free throw to give the Gamecocks a 21-14 lead on Mississippi State. The 9-0 by USC run was ended by Bulldogs point guard Morgan William on a layup with 7:41 left in the half. But this didn’t slow down the Gamecocks as they extended their lead to 9 points as the Bulldogs were forced to call a timeout to try and find a way to end the 11-2 run by South Carolina.
Out of the timeout, Mississippi State turned the ball over. However, they were able to force USC into a turnover as well and get to the free throw line. Morgan William put both in to make it just a 7 point deficit with 5:36 left in the half. Shortly after though, another 6-0 run from the Gamecocks would make it 31-18 South Carolina with 3:39 left in the half.
Quick baskets from Dillingham and Chinwe Okorie for Mississippi State cut the deficit to just 9 with 2:15 left. The rest of the half was back and fourth, with the Gamecocks heading into the locker room at the half with a 36-26 lead. Halfway through it was Allisha Gray and A’Ja Wilson leading the way for the Gamecocks with 11 points each. For the Bulldogs, it was Victoria Vivians leading the way with 7 points.
In the second half, the Bulldogs got the scoring started with 2 free throws from Vivians. Then back-to-back buckets from South Carolina made it a 12-point game with 8:36 left in the 3rd quarter. Shortly after, two free throws from A’Ja Wilson made it a 14 point lead for South Carolina, their biggest lead of the game to this point. The Bulldogs would answer with a triple from Dillingham to cut the deficit to 11.
However, after a bucket and a made free throw from Harris, the Gamecocks were back on top by 14 with 5:39 left to play. Then a short little 5-0 run for the Bulldogs cut the lead to 9 before the under 5-minute timeout in the 3rd quarter. Out of the timeout, William got a steal and a quick bucket for the Bulldogs. Then another turnover for South Carolina resulted in a jumper from Ketara Chapel to cut it to just 5 points with 3:37 left in the quarter.
After nearly 4 minutes without a field goal, South Carolina’s Allisha Gray was able to put in a layup, ending what was an 8-0 run for Mississippi State. Shortly after, the Bulldogs were able to cut the deficit to just 4 points on a set of free throws from McCowan. Then it was USC putting in two baskets before the end of the 3rd quarter, including a buzzer-beater from Kalea Davis to make it 52-44 with the Gamecocks on top with only one quarter remaining to determine a National Champion.
Getting the scoring started in the second half was the Bulldogs with a bucket from McCowan that cut it to 6. Then a quickly followed bucket from South Carolina pushed it right back to 8. After some stout defensive play, Mississippi State was able to get in tow free throws and a bucket to cut it to a 4 point game with just 6:52 left to play.
Gray and Wilson had been the key all day for the Gamecocks, and they showed up once again with back to back bucket’s to once again push their lead back to 8 points. This forced the Bulldogs to take a timeout with just 4:47 left to play. Out of the timeout, it was Breanna Richardson putting in the quick basket for Mississippi State to make it a 6-point game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs after their score, the Gamecocks opened up an 8-0 run that made it 66-52 South Carolina with just 1:29 left to play.
That would be more that enough to seal the deal in the end. The Bulldogs would only add three points before the final buzzer, and when that buzzer sounded it was official, the South Carolina Gamecocks are the 2017 Women’s NCAA Basketball Champion’s with a 67-55 victory.