COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on the NCAA women’s national championship (all times local):
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6:40 p.m.
Mississippi State has rallied to take 17-14 lead over Notre Dame at the end of the first quarter in the women’s national championship game.
The Irish reeled off an 8-2 run to start in front of an energized full house at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Mississippi State stormed back, finishing with an 11-2 run of its own to erase the Notre Dame lead.
Teaira McCowan has seven points for Mississippi State, and Victoria Vivians has six.
Mississippi State reached the final for the second straight year and is trying to win the first national championship in school history. Notre Dame advanced to its sixth title game and fifth in the last eight years. The Irish lost the previous four. They won their lone championship in 2001.
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6:16 p.m.
The women’s national championship game has tipped off.
Mississippi State reached the final for the second straight year and is trying to win the first national championship in school history. Notre Dame advanced to its sixth title game and fifth in the last eight years. The Irish lost the previous four. They won their lone championship in 2001.
Both teams won their national semifinal games in exciting fashion on Friday night. Mississippi State beat Louisville in overtime but first needed a tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation to force the extra period.
Notre Dame needed a jumper from Arike Ogunbowale with 1 second left to overcome UConn in OT on Friday.
The Irish are playing with just seven scholarship players because of injuries.
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5:26 p.m.
Mississippi State and Notre Dame have arrived in style, walking the red carpet into the arena a few hours before the women’s basketball NCAA championship game.
The Bulldogs are looking for their first national championship in school history, while the Irish are trying to win their second — 17 years to the day after Muffet McGraw’s team won the program’s only title.
Both teams advanced to Sunday’s title game with thrilling overtime victories in the Final Four.
The Irish will need to find a way to slow down Mississippi State center Teaira McCowan, who set a national semifinals record with 25 rebounds.
The game has been sold out for a month, and dozens of scalpers were outside looking for tickets hours before tipoff.
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