OKLAHOMA CITY — It didn’t matter that Mississippi State center Teaira McCowan had scored just six points through three quarters.
Her teammates told her to take over and she listened. She scored 20 of her career-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs defeated Washington 75-64 on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time.
“They said, ‘T, you’ve got to dominate,’ ” McCowan said. “Just taking that in, listening to my teammates, knowing I had to step up, take my team, like, further. That’s when I had the look in my eye like, ‘Nobody can stop you.’ ”
McCowan, a 6-7 sophomore who entered the game averaging just over eight points per game, made 9 of 10 field goals in the final 10 minutes. She scored 11 points in the first 2:33 of the fourth quarter to turn a two-point deficit into a seven-point lead for the second-seeded Bulldogs (32-4).
McCowan also had 12 rebounds and a career-high six blocks, and now the Bulldogs have reached a new level. Mississippi State Coach Vic Schaefer, a former assistant at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, said his team is getting overlooked.
“They’re not getting a lot of credit right now,” he said. “That’s fine. You know what? We’ll fly under the radar the whole way if we have to.”
Plum, the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader, scored 29 points on 10 for 25 shooting in her final college game.
“They shadowed me with the big player,” Plum said. “They switched plays, hedged screens. Credit to them. They had a great defensive game plan. You know, I didn’t make shots, just throughout the game, which I usually do.”
Schaefer said slowing her down was a chore, but Dominique Dillingham, an All-SEC defensive player, helped a key role.
“I don’t know when the last time she’s (Plum) been held to 10-25, or 40 percent, whatever it was,” Schaefer said. “We made her work for everything.”
Chantel Osahor added 17 points and 11 rebounds in her final game for third-seeded Washington, (29-6) which reached the Final Four last season.
Mississippi State led 38-29 at halftime. Plum exploded for 10 points in the third quarter, and the defense picked up to help Washington take a 50-48 lead into the final period before McCowan took over.
Plum tearfully reflected on her career afterward.
“I’m so grateful to have been able to go to the University of Washington,” she said. “You know, when I first came on campus, I had big dreams, dreams for our program, dreams as an individual. A lot of them came true.”
It was the Huskies’ third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under Coach Mike Neighbors, a native of Greenwood, Ark., and the first time they reached the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years. Guards Aarion McDonald and Natalie Romeo are slated to return next year. Katie Collier, the other starter besides Plum and Osahor, is a senior.
BAYLOR 97, LOUISVILLE 63
Nina Davis scored 21 points to help top-seeded Baylor defeat Louisville to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Lady Bears were a No. 1 seed in 2013 when they lost to Louisville in the Sweet 16 in Oklahoma City. They played much better defense this time, holding No. 4-seed Louisville to 30 percent shooting.
Beatrice Mompremier and Alexis Prince each scored 14 points for Baylor (33-3), which advanced to play Mississippi State on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four. The Bulldogs defeated Washington 75-64 in the early game Friday night.
Asia Durr scored 21 points for Louisville (29-8).
Baylor never trailed, and the game was tied for just 13 seconds. The Lady Bears led by 18 at one point in the first half and were up 43-31 at the break. Baylor continued to roll and led 72-45 at the end of the third quarter.
Sports on 03/25/2017