DAYTON, Ohio — No team has ever been so happy to be 1-20.
Skylar Diggins scored 24 points and second-seeded Notre Dame made up for 28 years of beatings at the hands of Tennessee, upsetting the top-seeded Lady Vols 73-59 Monday night to earn a spot in the Final Four.
“We went into the locker room after the game and the first thing the team said was, “1 and 20! 1 and 20!” coach Muffet McGraw said with a laugh.
The Fighting Irish (30-7) came in 0-20 all-time against the Lady Vols. But the operative number on this night was 3-0 — Notre Dame’s record in regional championship games. The Irish are headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, when they won the national championship.
“This is what you work for,” Diggins said. “I said all day, this team has so much camaraderie.”
Natalie Novosel added 17 points and Becca Bruszewski, who was listed as questionable to play with a knee injury, had 13 for the Irish.
“It’s a surreal feeling, knowing that could have been my last game,” said Bruszewski, who got a new knee brace Monday. “But this team just came out ready to go.”
Notre Dame advanced to play the winner of Tuesday’s game between top-ranked Connecticut (35-1) and second-seeded Duke (32-3).
McGraw said she had a rooting interest in that game.
“We’re definitely cheering for the Big East,” she said, referring to conference and national power Connecticut. “We’d like to have two Final Four teams from the Big East.”
Taber Spani and Shekinna Stricklen had 13 points for the Lady Vols (34-3).
“I don’t think we came here with the focus. Don’t ask me why. I’m kind of at a loss for words,” Vols coach Pat Summitt said after being stuck with loss number 199 of her career against 1,071 wins.
Stanford 83, Gonzaga 60
SPOKANE, Wash. — Nnemkadi Ogwumike dominated the inside with 23 points and 11 rebounds, sister Chiney chipped in 18 points, and Stanford (33-2) is headed back to its fourth straight Final Four. The top-seeded Cardinal ended the surprising run of Gonzaga (31-5) in the Spokane Regional final.
The Associated Press
