Baylor overcomes injury and Notre Dame returns to win national title

There was no other player that the Notre Dame women's basketball team would have wanted to see in the foul line on Sunday night with her championship hopes at stake.

Arike Ogunbowale is the queen of women's basketball, a label she earned during a brilliant career highlighted by two historic drummers on the biggest stage of the sport.

After committing a foul to give himself a chance to tie the national title game Sunday at the free throw line within two seconds of the end, Ogunbowale was fortunate enough to be the hero again . The free throw shooter (80.6%) stepped confidently to the foul line and threw the first of two shots on goal, then tilted her head in surprise and frustration as the ball went full circle.

This missed free kick proved to be the difference between Notre Dame's efforts in overtime and Baylor winning her third championship in her history. The Bears survived an untimely injury possibly affecting their most important player and a sharp return of the Irish in the fourth quarter, their victory with a win of 82-81.

"The match did not result in this free throw," told reporters Muffet McGraw, coach of Notre Dame. "I mean, the game was 40 minutes. We made many mistakes throughout the game, including the first quarter. It's just that I did not go out ready.

Baylor had taken the lead a little earlier with the basket of a fifth-year senior who had joined Kim Mulkey's program for the chance to win a championship after being eliminated in the first round at LSU in the last two years . Chloe Jackson scored the Bears' biggest basket, a assist with 3.9 seconds to allow his team to beat both.

Then the Bears managed to stop the Ogunbowale from doing what it did to UConn and Mississippi State a year ago at the Final Four. Moon Ursin blamed Ogunbowale for her basic training rather than letting her take a good look at a basket that is good for the game.

The story was at stake for both programs during the last tense minutes of Sunday night. Whatever the winning school, she will win her third national title, a feat that only UConn (11 years old) and Tennesssee (8 years old) women's basketball champions have achieved.

Baylor appeared to have complete control for more than 28 minutes. Then, an injury to star striker Lauren Cox changed the course of the story.

Cox had to leave the ground in a wheelchair at the end of the third quarter after a teammate stomped in the paint and her right knee bent beneath her. Baylor's 12-point lead was completely gone by the time the six-by-four junior returned to the bench limping, a knee splint.

While Cox's replacement, NaLyssa Smith, scored 14 points, including a few late baskets, the rookie had a hard time replacing Cox's defensive presence. Notre Dame went straight to Smith, either by attacking at the low post, or using a ball screen to match Ogunbowale to her on the perimeter.

Ogunbowale scored 12 of his 31 points, the highest point of the game, after Cox's injury, which strengthened his reputation as a great player and allowed him to join his team. Marina Mabrey also sank three huge 3 points in the fourth quarter, the last of which tied the score at 74.

Once Notre Dame forged that tie, it was like a matter of time before Ogunbowale won it for the Irish.

In women's basketball, no player is better in these moments than Ogunbowale. This time, she just missed a free throw.

"I mean, it's difficult. It's hard, "Ogunbowale told reporters. "You really can not do anything about it."

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