Louisiana State is heading to its first championship sport in program historical past after a rousing fourth quarter rally in opposition to top-seeded Virginia Tech, 79-72.
The Tigers, who fell behind by as many as 12 factors, flipped the sport fully within the final 10 minutes, popping out of the break following the third quarter with a right away push. L.S.U. scored 15 factors straight at one level to not solely erase its deficit however to take a 10-point lead with lower than 4 minutes left, behind the Tigers’ hungry ahead, Angel Reese, who had transferred to the varsity from Maryland this season.
“It’s like a dream, it nonetheless hasn’t hit me that I’m on the Ultimate 4,” Reese mentioned. “It’s loopy how a lot my life has modified in a single yr.”
“All we had was one another,” she added.
Virginia Tech tried however didn’t cease the onslaught. With 30 seconds left, Reese gave her signature nod of confidence to the gang, who responded in form with cheers. The sophomore guard had her thirty third double-double of the season, which tied the N.C.A.A. Division I file, scoring 24 factors and 12 rebounds after a gradual begin particularly on the boards.
L.S.U., a No. 3 seed that had additionally knocked off second-seeded Utah earlier on this event, will face the winner of No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 2 seed Iowa on Sunday afternoon within the nationwide championship sport.
The Hokies, a top-seeded staff that also handled itself like an underdog all through March, had already achieved a primary for this system by making it this far within the event and appeared effectively on its method to the championship sport earlier than L.S.U.’s comeback.
They outscored the Tigers within the second and third quarter with assist from Elizabeth Kitley, who led the staff with 18 factors and 12 rebounds, and Georgia Amoore, who set an N.C.A.A. tournament record for 3-pointers, hitting her twenty third within the third quarter. She scored 17 factors by the tip of the sport, largely with 3-pointers. Kayana Traylor, who had 17 factors, sparked the Hokies within the second and third quarters within the moments when it appeared like they might flip the sport right into a rout.
“I’m extraordinarily happy with this group, not solely due to what they achieved on the court docket however how they conduct themselves on the court docket, how they conduct themselves in our group,” Virginia Tech Coach Kenny Brooks mentioned. “That is one of the best yr of basketball that I’ve ever had in my life.”
Amoore, a junior, mentioned she performed her “coronary heart out.”
The Tigers began the sport in management solely to path off within the second and third as Amoore obtained scorching from the 3-point line and the Hokies settled into a simple rhythm. However the Hokies started to expire of gasoline heading into the fourth quarter. Reese, together with Alexis Morris and Flau’jae Johnson, mixed to assault the Hokies from inside and out of doors with sturdy taking pictures and rebounding. L.S.U. transformed 22 factors from rebounds and scored 54 factors within the paint, in contrast with 14 for Virginia Tech.
L.S.U. Coach Kim Mulkey mentioned after the sport that she needed to problem her staff “with a way of urgency” going into the fourth quarter and informed them “to play as if that they had two minutes to play.”
“You gotta come out smoking and on hearth, you gotta play such as you’re by no means going to play once more,” she mentioned.
It labored.