2017 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship Game

The 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship Game was the final game of the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. The game was played on April 2, 2017, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 67–55, to claim their first-ever national championship.

2017 NCAA Tournament Championship Game
National Championship Game
Mississippi State Bulldogs South Carolina Gamecocks
(34–4) (32–4)
55 67
Head coach:
Vic Schaefer		 Head coach:
Dawn Staley
1234 Total
Mississippi State 14121811 55
South Carolina 18181615 67
DateApril 2, 2017
ArenaAmerican Airlines Center
LocationDallas, Texas
MVPA'ja Wilson (South Carolina)
Referee(s)
  • Dee Kantner
  • Tina Napier
  • Brenda Pantoja
Attendance19,229
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
Announcers
Nielsen Ratings0.81 (3.83 million)[1]

Participants

Going into the game, South Carolina and Mississippi State have met 35 times in women's basketball since December 29, 1984, with the Gamecocks holding a one-game edge over the Bulldogs in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. In the 2016–17 SEC regular season, South Carolina lost twice and Mississippi State three times (once to the Gamecocks). Notched as the top two seeds for the 2017 SEC Tournament, the teams advanced to the championship game, where South Carolina won 59–49.[2]

In the Final Four of the tournament, South Carolina defeated Stanford, 62–53.[3] In the other semifinal game, Mississippi State defeated Connecticut with a buzzer beater, winning 66–64, and ending Connecticut's 111-game winning streak.[4]

Game summary
ESPN
Sunday, April 2
6:00 pm EDT
Mississippi State 55, South Carolina 67
Scoring by quarter: 14–18, 12–18, 18–16, 11–15
Pts: V. Vivians 12
Rebs: T. McCowan 10
Asts: M. William 4		 Pts: A. Wilson 23
Rebs: A. Wilson/A. Gray 10
Asts: B. Cuevas-Moore/A. Gray/T. Harris 2
American Airlines Center – Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 19,229
Referees: Dee Kantner, Tina Napier, Brenda Pantoja

South Carolina led 36–26 at half time and extended this lead further in the beginning of the third quarter. Mississippi State then rallied, and at one point trailed by only 4 points (54–50). However, South Carolina never relinquished their lead, and held on to win, ultimately by 12 points.[5] The South Carolina strategy was to focus on close shots, with the team only attempting three 3-pointers in the entire game.[6]

A'ja Wilson was South Carolina's top scorer with 23 points.[5] Mississippi State guard Morgan William, who had excelled previously in the tournament, was benched for much of the game, scoring 8 points in 23 minutes of playing time.[5][7]

Media coverage

The Championship Game was televised in the United States by ESPN. Dave O'Brien gave the play-by-play, with Doris Burke and Kara Lawson as the color analysts, and Holly Rowe as the sideline reporter. Maria Taylor, Rebecca Lobo and Andy Landers provided studio coverage.[8]

See also

References
  1. Metcalf, Mitch (April 4, 2017). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.2.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  2. "South Carolina wins third straight SEC Championship". secsports.com. March 6, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  3. "South Carolina women beat Stanford 62–53 in Final Four". Herald and News. Associated Press. April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  4. "Mississippi State stuns UConn, ending 111-game win streak". Boston Globe. Associated Press. March 31, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  5. "South Carolina upsets Mississippi State 67–55 in first national championship". CBS News. April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  6. Raynor, Grace (April 2, 2017). "Mission accomplished: South Carolina women beat Mississippi State 67–55 to win the national championship". The Post and Courier. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  7. Voepel, Mechelle (April 3, 2017). "Morgan William on sitting late in NCAA final: I wasn't bringing enough energy". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  8. Negron, Anna (March 29, 2017). "Women's Final Four Presented by Capital One on ESPN – Extensive, Multiplatform Coverage from Dallas". espnmediazone.com. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
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