Staley proud to be 2nd African-American coach to win title

In March, when the 16th-seeded University at Albany drew UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Albany head coach Joanna McNamee celebrated the opportunity.

The winning shot for Mississippi State was a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer by the smallest player on the court, the 5-foot-5-inch point guard Morgan William.

Mississippi State (34-4) will take on SC (32-4) in the final game of the 2016-17 NCAA Women’s basketball season.

COACH SCHAEFER: Sure. Yeah, you know, with my team, just the last minute, I was coaching them the last minute, Hey, we’re not going to probably win the game, but we’re going to win the last minute. She didn’t play great overall in the Final Four, shooting 6-of-17 with 13 points. “Daughter-father, just had that bond, it was like I want the ball in my hands”, she said. “I’m not mad; Jazz did a good job”. Her footwork and touch around the basket also rank among the best in the nation. “I’m so, so proud of them”.

“She knew the game plan was to make it hard for Morgan to operate in areas in which she could control their team”. They’re physical. I mean, they play the way that we do. Whatever he thinks is best, that’s best for the team. Samuelson had 15. Collier had 11 points and eight rebounds but like her fellow All-Americans struggled all night. It’s a hard, long grind of a season.

“We feel like we won it all when we won that game last night, but we know we didn’t”, William said.

Mississippi State guard Morgan William, center, celebrates with teammates after she hit the winning shot at the buzzer in overtime to defeat CT in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women’s Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. The Bulldogs are the first team ever with consecutive overtime victories in the NCAA Tournament. Stewart, the 2016 player of the year and no. 1 pick in last year’s WNBA Draft, was behind the U-Conn bench Friday night, trying to lend support to her team, which was not enough.

After Friday’s game, William had media interviews, and then more of the same Saturday morning in preparation for the championship game.

However, with the Huskies, she said, “Nobody comes close”.

“You can’t go into the game thinking you can just do the same old things”, SC head coach Dawn Staley said. I tried to dig deep down inside. I gave it my all.

I disagreed. Many times, I have vigorously refuted this notion that a team must lose to generate interest and attention.

UConn’s vulnerabilities were exposed as it lost for the first time in almost 2½ years, since an 88-86 defeat in overtime at Stanford on November 17, 2014.

“We talked about, when we started this back in September, there were seven championships on our schedule”, Schaefer said. “Now we’re 40 minutes from a championship”. The four seniors showed all who come behind them how it is done: By defending, man-to-man, as if your life depends on every possession, by taking charges and gladly taking the bruises that come with them and by diving after loose balls as if they were made of gold. “I couldn’t get anything going, and it’s my responsibility”.

Freshmen Zion Chapel, Jacaira Allen and Ameshya Williams are a year older and their roles will increase and Arkansas transfer Jordan Danberry could help depth when she is inserted in January.

McGrady – who went straight to the National Basketball Association from high school – was a seven-time All-Star who played 15 years in the league. “Just having the confidence that I can make something happen, and I live for moments like that now”.

Admittedly, the Bulldogs’ coaches still encourage her to be more vocal and forceful in running the team.

Neither team scored much in overtime, with Teaira McCowan’s layup with 1:12 left in the extra session breaking a 62-62 tie. And Schaefer created the ideal game plan for beating the Huskies.

The Huskies finish 36-1 and are 11-7 in national semifinal games.

The overtime game might be the best basketball game, men’s or women’s, played this year. The Gamecocks went through, around and over anything MSU had and nothing worked for the Bulldogs. But the ending was tough for her. Can you tell us a little bit, without giving us too much, what you had to say to your team?