Mississippi State returns to national championship after beating Louisville in Final Four

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After Roshunda Johnson made the biggest 3-pointer of her life to send the game to overtime, Mississippi State gathered in a huddle near its bench and Vic Schaefer’s message to the Bulldogs was a succinct reminder.

They were built for this.

“He always tell us that, and that this was our ‘one more,’” Blair Schaefer said. “When it gets tough, that’s when it gets just right for us. We really enjoyed that moment.”

Then they won the game. Mississippi State is back in the national championship after a thrilling 73-63 win in overtime against Louisville in the Final Four.

“To be real with you,” Morgan William said, “I just knew we were going to win when we got to the overtime.”

Mississippi State (36-1) will play the UConn-Notre Dame winner at 5 p.m. Sunday, the Bulldogs looking to claim their first-ever championship in any sport.

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Until Friday night, one could only imagine how this great Mississippi State team would get here. With Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivians stacked together with three knock-down perimeter shooters, the Bulldogs, on paper, of course, seemed destined for greatness. But it was only when the blueprint came to life here with the pieces performing precisely the way they should, that the vision was able to be realized.

It took 21 points and 25 rebounds from McCowan.

It took 25 points from Victoria Vivians, who made a critical layup with 6:47 left in the fourth that cut Louisville’s lead to 53-46 and jumpstarted a 10-0 run for MSU.

It took Johnson’s 3-pointer. Out of a timeout, William found Johnson on the left wing and she hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 59 with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter.

“I was on the opposite side of the court and I was just thinking, ‘This looks so good … This looks so good,’” Blair said. “Then it went in and I was just like, ‘Way to shoot it, baby!’ You have to have that confidence.”

Johnson was 1-of-5 from the field and 0-of-2 on 3-pointers on the night before that shot went in.

“I do what my team needs me to do,” Johnson said. “We have weapons like Teaira and Tori, and teams focus on that, so it’s great.”

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In fact, Vic said that Blair was used as a decoy and McCowan set the screen on the play perfectly.

And all of that just helped MSU get it to overtime.

But all the Bulldogs said the same thing: once the game got to that point, in their minds, it was over.

“We were just telling ourselves,” Blair said, “that, ‘We are built for this. The tougher team is going to win this game.’”

Vivians scored the first five points of overtime to give MSU a 64-59 lead and the Bulldogs never looked back. Jordan Danberry’s defense and a key steal that she made with 4:36 left helped seal it. Danberry finished with 10 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.

“This game was like riding a big roller-coaster,” Danberry said. “But we knew we would win and we say that because we believe we are built for this.”

If those lines sound repetitive at this point, it’s because they should.

But a foundation of toughness was built in the preseason for a team with the highest of expectations. In a boot-camp-like regimen for two days in September, the Bulldogs trained in The Program under Sam Cila, a retired sergeant in the army who had his left hand amputated. Fittingly, Cila met with MSU staffers on the bench before the game.

The Bulldogs often say they pride themselves on a blue-collar approach along with being aggressive and mentally strong. It was all evident Friday when MSU got to where it felt like it needed to be.

“Our thing all year is ‘Do one more,’” Blair said. “I feel like we did that today.”

Now, the Bulldogs will look to accomplish just that on Sunday.

More Mississippi State coverage

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Oral history: Inside 'The Shot': A year later, looking back at Mississippi State's upset of UConn

Vic Schaefer: Coach has pushed the right buttons to get Mississippi State back to the Final Four

Victoria Vivians: 'She's a hoot': The evolution of Mississippi State's Victoria Vivians

Johnnie Harris: How Johnnie Harris earned Vic Schaefer's trust and became assistant coach of the year

Morgan William: As NCAA tournament continues Mississippi State is relying on Morgan William more

Roshunda Johnson: How Roshunda Johnson balanced motherhood with her increased role at Mississippi State

Blair Schaefer: Before Blair Schaefer could break out at Mississippi State, she needed to make a decision