Bulldogs can’t forget it; Huskies moved on

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, left, Sean Rayford, right).

When asked during Thursday’s press conference what she has learned from SC coach Dawn Staley, Gamecocks forward A’ja Wilson turned philosophical.

CT head coach Geno Auriemma, left, calls out to his team in this March 18, 2017, file photo, in Storrs, Conn. Mississippi State head coach Vic Schaefer, right, directs his team in this December 3, 2016, file photo, in Ames, Iowa.

FAMILY TIES: Schaefer and his daughter, Blair, are the first father-daughter to compete in the Final Four.

“It really is an interesting dynamic, ” Auriemma said Tuesday during a national conference call. “You really couldn’t explain it because it is 60 points”. But it just doesn’t happen. “It’s unique. You don’t see that generally anywhere, much less in a Final Four“. They are on a record-setting run of 111 consecutive victories so far.

Dad had the good fortune of regional finals on different days, which also allowed Katie Lou Samuelson to watch the final minutes of Stanford’s 76-75 win over Notre Dame between her obligations the day before the Huskies blew out OR to reach their 10th straight Final Four.

Regional Most Outstanding Player Napheesa Collier had back-to-back double-doubles and averaged 27.5 points on 61.1 percent shooting, 13.0 rebounds, and 3.5 blocked shots in the wins over UCLA and Oregon.

“Dawn is extremely competitive”.

Yet it’s her job to talk players into doing just that.

When the Bulldogs shoot 45% + from the field, Mississippi State is 17-1 this season. UConn received a record $81 million in donations in 2014 – the same year that both its men’s and women’s basketball teams won national championships – and has earned at least $77 million in each year since.

There’s expected to be more than 30 former players on hand for the games this weekend. “That’s a big step to go from riding in the backseat on a trip you’re going to, to all of a sudden you’re in charge of driving the bus you’re responsible for getting us there”. A likely win will put them in the championship game against the victor of the South Carolina, Stanford matchup.

MSU was brilliant in their win over Baylor in the Oklahoma City regional final, as State turned the ball over just 4 times in the win over the Lady Bears and held Baylor to eight fast break points.

Last year, many fans admittedly only faintly hoped the Bulldogs could beat CT before the Huskies thoroughly dashed those hopes with a 98-38 trouncing in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 round. Stanford. Oh, by the way, UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson and Stanford’s Karlie Samuelson are sisters, and the third Samuelson sister (Bonnie) graduated from Stanford two years ago and is third all-time in program history in threes made and attempted.

TIP TIME: Auriemma wasn’t thrilled with the late start time.

March 26, 2016 is a day Vic Schaefer would like to forget but likely never will. “We don’t want to settle, I guess”.

“Believe me, I didnt give Vic anything he didnt already know, ” Auriemma said. I was pretty specific in trying to get some information out of him.

“Obviously now there’s a lot more”, VanDerveer said, then smiling.

“Our team has grown a lot since past year”, Vivians said. “Coming in as a freshman I know I’m going to have to come in with their same attitude of wanting to experience that”.

“I think everybody kind of thinks they might have a small drop off just because they lost the first three draft picks”, Richardson said, “but UConn is going to be dominant”. “For us to be in this position when people didn’t think we were going to be, and for us to have played as well as we did tonight to get there, it’s a good feeling”. Hes done an awesome job. “It all falls on my shoulders and I take full responsibility for it”.