Notre Dame Basketball: Ogunbowale The Hero Again, Irish Win Championship
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Arike Ogunbowale had already cemented her name in Notre Dame basketball lore two nights ago. Sunday, she made herself a Notre Dame legend.
Ogunbowale hit a three with 0.1 remaining to clinch the title for the Irish, beating Mississippi State 61-58 in the championship game of the NCAA Women’s National Championship. It was 17 years ago to this date that Notre Dame won it’s first NCAA Championship.
Ogunbowale took the ball with three seconds left on an inbounds pass from Jackie Young, dribbled to the corner and heaved a three-pointer that found the bottom of the cup as time expired, lifting the Irish to its second national title. Ogunbowale made a game-winning shot with one second left Friday night in overtime to sink previously unbeaten UConn, sending the Irish to the championship game.
Ogunbowale finished the game with 18 points and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Jessica Shepard and Ogunbowale led the Irish all the way back after trailing by 15 halfway through the third quarter. The Irish finished the third quarter on a 16-1 run to tie the game at 41.
In the fourth quarter, the Irish erased a five-point deficit with under two minutes remaining. A Marina Mabrey three and Young jumper tied the game at 58 with 45 seconds left.
After a defensive stand and forced turnover, the Irish had the ball with 3.0 seconds left.
The opening quarter saw runs from both teams and the Irish started it off by scoring the first six points. Notre Dame was active defensively, garnering four early steals, while all five starters got on the scoreboard to jump out to a 10-4 advantage at the first media timeout at 4:15. However, Mississippi State ended the quarter on a 13-4 scoring spree to take a 17-14 lead.
Notre Dame’s offense struggled to find its rhythm in the second quarter, receiving its lone points from a Shepard old-fashioned three-point play. Yet, the defense kept the Irish within reach, limiting MSU to 13 points to trail just 30-17 at the half.
Mississippi State’s Victoria Vivians would hit a three-pointer at the 6:41 mark as the Irish then faced its largest deficit of the game, down 40-25. Yet, once again, Notre Dame fought back in this Final Four, ending the quarter on the impressive 16-1 run, keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the final 4:27.
In the final quarter, neither team could separate themselves by more than four points for almost the entire period. Roshunda Johnson hit a three with 1:58 remaining to give Mississippi State a 58-53 lead. Mabrey responded for the Irish with a three on the ensuing possession. After an Irish stop, Young hit a jumper to tie the game at 58 with under a minute to go.
Notre Dame’s other championship came in 2001, beating Purdue. The 2018 title sees the Irish finish its season 35-3, Mississippi State at 37-2. The Irish won the title after a miraculous season that had four players go down with ACL tears and a roster that at times had just six scholarship players dressed. The Irish will defend its title next season with its entire starting five expected back. The win Sunday was also coach Muffet McGraw’s 800th of her career.