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South Carolina happy to face fellow SEC school Mississippi State for women's title

 
Mississippi State’s Morgan William embraces Dominique Dillingham (00) after hitting a buzz-beater to upset UConn in overtime.
Mississippi State’s Morgan William embraces Dominique Dillingham (00) after hitting a buzz-beater to upset UConn in overtime.
Published April 2, 2017

DALLAS — South Carolina players watched from their hotel Friday night and were shocked along with everyone else when UConn's record 111-game winning streak ended on a buzzer-beating OT shot by Mississippi State's Morgan William in the women's national semifinals.

Their next reaction: pride and joy to have an SEC rival in the NCAA title game, and another first-time participant to boot.

"We're proud an SEC school could do it," South Carolina guard Kaela Davis said. "I feel for (UConn) because for me, I couldn't imagine the pressure kind of riding just with having all that on your back. At the same time, I'm proud that it was an SEC school and proud of the way Mississippi State played."

The Gamecocks also were happy for William, who tearfully dedicated a 41-point performance in a region final win over Baylor to her late stepfather.

Now South Carolina has to make sure the 5-foot-5 junior doesn't do it again tonight.

"Morgan William is going to make shots, she's going to make plays," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. "If she's in a groove and she's playing as she's played over the past five games, it's going to be a long night for us."

Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer is 0-8 against South Carolina in five seasons. Now it's a third straight game against a top seed for the No. 2 seed.

"We keep bringing up my history with South Carolina, so apparently the fact that we've never beat them is an issue today," Schaefer said. "My kids are tough. They've earned the right to be here."

About that call

The NCAA clarified the delayed flagrant foul that gave UConn two tying free throws with 27 seconds left in overtime. The statement said the video review occurred within the allowable time frame and that Dominique Dillingham made unnecessary contact with Katie Lou Samuelson when both crashed to the court after a tipped pass with 53 seconds left.

Numbers of the day

2 straight wins in overtime for Mississippi State, the first time that has happened in the NCAA Tournament.

2-0 South Carolina's record against Mississippi State this year: a 64-61 regular-season win and a 59-49 win in the SEC tournament championship.

Quotable

"Rankings are kind of like all about who you know. We're our own All-Americans."

Mississippi State's Morgan William, who was ranked just the 25th-best point guard coming out of high school three years ago in Birmingham, Ala.