Arike Ogunbowale's jumper with 1 second remaining in OT sends ND to NCAA Title Game

Posted: March 31, 2018 -- 12:12 am CDT.

Updated, 3/31/2018, 9:15 a.m. CDT --

COLUMBUS, OHIO (Nationwide Arena) -- Notre Dame guard Arike Ogunbowale saved her best moment for last Friday night in the second semifinal of the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four. Ogunbowale drained a pull up jumper from the right side of the court with 1 second remaining in overtime to give the Fighting Irish a thrilling 91-89 over the UConn Huskies.

Ogunbowale described the final play.

"That definitely wasn't the play call," Ogunbowale said. "Like we switched who was going to take the ball out two or three times, me and Jackie. And then Jess had the open lane, and Marina got it. And I was like, I guess I'll go get it, and my team trusted me to have the ball at the end."

Notre Dame (34-3) advances to the championship game Sunday night against Mississippi State (37-1).

"I mean, it felt good. I didn't know it was going in, but it felt good," Ogunbowale answered when asked if she knew the shot was going in after she released the ball.

Final: Notre Dame 91, UConn 89. 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four semifinal #2

Prior to the shot, with 35 seconds remaining, Ogunbowale missed two free throws with Notre Dame leading 89-86.  Ogunbowale said she didn't dwell on the missed free throws.

"Yeah, I can't really dwell on the two free throws. I have to just think next play."

Ogunbowale scored 27 points. Teammate Jackie Young scored a game-high 32 points.

Young said the Huskies kept leaving her open.

"I mean, from the start, they just left me open," Young said candidly. "And I think I hit my first shot, and after that, we came back down, and they just kept leaving me open. I was able to get going."

Napheesa Collier scored a team-high 24 points for UConn.

Notre Dame went 19 for 23 from the foul line. UConn 4 for 6 from the line.

Notre Dame raced out to a 13 point lead (24-11) and led 24-14 at the end of the first quarter. UConn's Katie Lou Samuelson rattled in a 3 to end the first quarter. Samuelson's basket kick started a 26-6 run by the Huskies to put them on top 37-30.

UConn led 41-34 at halftime.

Notre Dame's offense got back on track in the third quarter. Both teams shot the ball well in the third period. Notre Dame shot 8 for 15 while UConn shot 8 for 14.

Notre Dame led 79-74 with 21 seconds remaining in regulation; however, UConn's Napheesa Collier made a three point basket to trim Notre Dame's lead to 79-77 with 15 seconds on the clock.

Then, after a Notre Dame timeout, while inbounding the basketball, Jessica Shepard's pass was stolen by UConn's Kia Nurse. Nurse raced up the court and scored to tie the game at 79 with 9 seconds remaining.

Notre Dame had a chance for a go ahead basket; however, Shepard lost the ball out of bounds with 3 seconds left in regulation.

UConn called timeout. Gabby Williams got a decent shot attempt; but, the shot bounced off the backboard to send the game in overtime tied at 79.

"I think, like Coach said, there were so many times they (Notre Dame) could have put us away," Nurse said after the game. "And, we clawed and clawed and clawed our way back into it and made big play after big play. So, I'm proud of my team and the way they played."

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