The Notre Dame women clinched the national title Sunday night after a spectacular three-pointer by one of the team’s new star players.
Arike Ogunbowale hit a game-winning three-pointer with an opposing player’s hand in her face as the time expired on the clock of the Women’s NCAA title game on Sunday night.
And even more impressive is that the second-team All-American player hit the outstanding shot against the Mississippi State Bulldogs just two days after swishing a buzzer-beater against the University of Connecticut women in the Final Four.
‘That last play, there was just a lot going on,’ Ogunbowale said in the emotional aftermath of the game, according to Yahoo Sports. ‘I can’t even describe it.’
Notre Dame women clinched the national title Sunday night after a spectacular three-pointer by one of the team’s new star players. Arike Ogunbowale is pictured hitting the game-winner
Arike Ogunbowale hit a game-winning three-pointer with an opposing team player’s hand in her face as the time expired on the clock of the Women’s NCAA title game on Sunday night
The shot brought the Notre Dame women their second national title in program history
The junior’s shot won the Notre Dame Irish women their second NCAA title.
The Irish last won a national title in 2001, but lost four trips to the national championship game in the five year span between 2011 and 2015.
Now the Mississippi State Bulldogs have lost two consecutive title games, after losing against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2017 championship.
Sunday night’s game also marked the biggest comeback in NCAA championship game history.
With just six minutes left in the third quarter Mississippi State was leading 40-25, but the Irish managed to score 16 of the last 17 points of the period to even it out.
Even more impressive is that the second-team All-American player hit the outstanding shot against the Mississippi State Bulldogs just two days after swishing a buzzer-beater against the University of Connecticut women in the Final Four. She is pictured left after Saturday’s game, and right after hitting Friday’s shot
Ogunbowale is picutred as she is congratulated by her teammates after hitting the shot to beat the UConn women and secure their place in the national title game
Then with less than two minutes on the clock Mississippi State was up 58-53 before Notre Dame’s Maria Mabrey hit the team’s first three pointer of the game.
Sophomore guard Jackie Young then tied the game with a short turnaround jumper off the glass.
MSU center Tearia McCowan then missed the next possession and Notre Dame got the ball back with just seconds left, giving Ogunbowale the chance to score the stunning last second shot.
‘I’m just so speechless at this point,’ head coach Muffet McGraw said.
‘To see this team come back from yet another huge deficit, to see Arike make an incredible shot, to see the resilience of a team that never gave up.’
The miraculous shot Sunday combined with Friday’s game winner gives Ogunbowale two of the four most impressive shots in women’s basketball history.
The miraculous shot Sunday combined with Friday’s game winner gives Ogunbowale two of the four most impressive shots in women’s basketball history
The play sparked a Twitter exchange between she and Kobe Bryant, who was at the women’s Final Four game
Kobe congratulated the 21-year-old on the incredible shot, before warning her that the job wasn’t yet done
He congratulated her in a tweet Sunday night with a simple: ‘WOW’
On Friday she made a shot that was only slightly less impressive than the championship-winner, because it was from a slightly closer range.
The play sparked a Twitter exchange between she and Kobe Bryant, who was at the women’s Final Four game – after she said during an interview that she wanted to ‘channel Kobe’ in those final moments.
Kobe congratulated the 21-year-old on the incredible shot, before warning her that the job wasn’t yet done.
‘Big time shot Arike! We are a @UConnWBB family but we love seeing great time players making great plays,’ Kobe tweeted Friday night.
‘I know my lil sis @jewellloyd is happy Well done @ndwbb good luck on Sunday.’
Arike, clearly shocked to have gained the attention of one of basketball’s greats, responded : ‘Wow, my life is complete. The GOAT.’
Kobe then quickly cautioned her, writing: ‘Nah… it’s complete by finishing the job on Sunday.’
He congratulated her in a tweet Sunday night with a simple: ‘WOW.’
A senior in college in 2014, Ogunbowale tweeted: ‘My top 5 (alphabetical order): Louisville, Notre Dame, Ohio State, UCLA, Wisconsin’
Auriemma, clearly offended she didn’t want to come to play for his team, responded to the tweet, saying: ‘Stay tuned for my list of the 5 players I saw in the past 7 days that I have zero interest in recruiting…. #whatajoke’
Ogunbowale’s impressive pair of shots also gave her the last laugh in a standoff between she and UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma – who mocked her choices when she decided not to take part in his college program.
A senior in college in 2014, Ogunbowale tweeted: ‘My top 5 (alphabetical order): Louisville, Notre Dame, Ohio State, UCLA, Wisconsin.’
Auriemma, clearly offended she didn’t want to come to play for his team, responded to the tweet, saying: ‘Stay tuned for my list of the 5 players I saw in the past 7 days that I have zero interest in recruiting…. #whatajoke.’