Notre Dame eliminates UConn in overtime

DENVER -- A rebuilding year for Connecticut nearly turned into a remarkable one.

It still might go down as one of the most memorable for coach Geno Auriemma. Once the pain subsides, that is, and he has time to reflect.

His young and pesky Huskies rallied to force overtime last night before Big East rival Notre Dame pulled away for an 83-75 victory in a women's NCAA Tournament national semifinal.

Notre Dame (35-3) will face Baylor (39-0) in the championship game tomorrow night.

Even in what was supposed to be a season of transition, UConn remained a serious title threat right down to the wire. For the second straight year, though, Connecticut (33-5) had to watch the Irish celebrate a trip to the championship game as it trudged off the court in tears.

"We feel frustration," UConn junior guard Kelly Faris said. "This was the same thing as last year."

Notre Dame lost to Texas A&M in the NCAA championship game last year after beating Connecticut in the semifinals.

The score was tied at 67 after regulation Sunday night after an 8-2 run by UConn fueled by a series of hustle plays from Faris, who had a steal and a basket and four free throws in the final 90 seconds.

The Huskies, who were led by Stefanie Dolson's 20 points and Bria Hartley's 18, stretched their run to 11-3 when former North Babylon star Hartley opened the extra period with a three-pointer. But UConn unraveled in overtime as Brittany Mallory hit two clutch three-pointers for Notre Dame.

Natalie Novosel had 20 points, including her follow-up hook shot with 4.6 seconds left in regulation that tied it at 67 after a miss by Skylar Diggins (19 points).

Even though the Huskies couldn't get off a shot in the final seconds of regulation, they were excited heading into overtime. "I thought we had a lot of momentum," Hartley said. "There was a lot of excitement and we felt good going into the overtime. It didn't work out."

"We put ourselves in a position to win the game," Auriemma said. "The last two minutes, minute and a half of regulation, were pretty amazing. As most games do, it turned on one great play by a great player.

"In overtime, we didn't have enough. We took a chance on making it difficult, but Brittany Mallory made two huge shots. That's who we wanted to take the shots, and God bless her, she made them."

"My teammates just kept talking to me, 'You're going to hit a shot. You're going to hit a shot,' " said Mallory, who had seven of her 11 points in OT. "I was getting a little down on myself and I just happened to keep finding the three-point line and my teammates found me, and they couldn't have come at a better time."

"I am euphoric right now for Brittany Mallory," Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. "What a way for a senior to come through in one of the last games of her career."

-- AP