OKLAHOMA CITY -- Morgan William gave her late stepfather the ultimate tribute.
The 5-foot-5 point guard scored a career-high 41 points and second-seeded Mississippi State upset top-seeded Baylor 94-85 in overtime Sunday night to reach the Final Four for the first time.
The win came three years and a day after William's stepfather, Donnie Rory, passed away. After she was named Most Outstanding Player of the regional, she dedicated the victory and the performance to him.
"He's the reason I am where I am today with basketball," she said. "He just did so much for me, working out when I was younger. He had no doubt because of my height. We put in so much work in the gym. For me to just come out here and do this, it's amazing. I just wish he was here to see it."
William scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and 12 points in overtime to set school and Southeastern Conference records for most points in an NCAA Tournament game. She made 13 of 22 shots, including 6 of 8 3-pointers. She also had seven assists and no turnovers.
Victoria Vivians scored 24 points and Teaira McCowan added 10 for Mississippi State (33-4) in a game that featured 24 lead changes.
Kalani Brown scored 27 points and Nina Davis had 18 for Baylor (33-4), which lost in the Elite Eight for the fourth consecutive year.
"At Baylor, we have expectations that are higher than an Elite Eight," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "Whether that's egotistical, fair, whatever, it is what it is. We have to keep feeding that monster that we started 17 years ago."
Davis, one of the most decorated players in school history, played in all four of those Elite Eight losses. She thought this one would turn out differently.
"Every time we would get the lead, they would come down and shoot a 3, we would foul, and could never get that one stop that we needed," she said.
William's layup with 22 seconds left in regulation forced overtime. Mississippi State outscored Baylor 19-10 in the extra period.
"It took a gut-check, gut-wrenching performance by our kids today and we delivered," Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. "I thought our kids were unflappable. I thought they were resilient. They showed tremendous toughness, a lot of character in their heart."
Stanford 76, Notre Dame 75
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Alanna Smith's layup with 23 seconds left capped Stanford's rally from a 16-point deficit in the second half, Erica McCall blocked a last-second shot and the Cardinal edged top-seeded Notre Dame 76-75 Sunday to reach its first Final Four since 2014.
Brittany McPhee scored 27 as the second-seeded Cardinal (32-5) won its eighth in a row overall. This was the third straight year Stanford and Notre Dame have met in the NCAA Tournament, with the Cardinal winning twice.
Down 47-31 in the third quarter, Stanford surged to end Notre Dame's 17-game winning streak. The Irish (33-4) had a final shot, but McCall blocked Arike Ogunbowale's drive from behind near the basket and Stanford grabbed the loose ball as time ran out.
The win in the Lexington Regional gives Stanford a chance to pursue its third national championship under coach Tara VanDerveer.
Among those in the crowd at Rupp Arena was Jon Samuelson, whose daughter, Karlie, scored 15 for Stanford. A day earlier, he was at the Bridgeport Regional to see another daughter, UConn star Katie Lou Samuelson, help the Huskies win their 110th straight game.
Smith finished with 15 points.
Ogunbowale had 25 and Marina Mabrey 20 for Notre Dame, which had sought its sixth Final Four in seven seasons.
After driving for a basket with 51 seconds left, Smith added her biggest shot for the go-ahead score. Stanford then denied Notre Dame's Lindsay Allen and Ogunbowale on successive attempts in the final 15 seconds to spark a wild celebration.
Sports on 03/28/2017