South Carolina Spoils Mississippi State's Miracle

South Carolina has spoiled the miracle for Mississippi State. A'ja Wilson and Allisha Gray both had double-doubles and the Gamecocks beat the Bulldogs 67-55 to win the NCAA women's championship in an all-Southeastern Conference matchup of first-time finalists Sunday night. The loss for Mississippi State came two days after ending UConn's record 111-game winning streak with a stunning buzzer-beater by Morgan William in overtime in the semifinals. Thanks to that win, the crowd heavily favored Mississippi State, which used the energy for an early 7-1 lead before the Gamecocks took control for a third straight win this season against the Bulldogs.

Wilson had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Gray added 18 points. William was never much of a factor, even sitting during a fourth-quarter run that got Mississippi State within four after the Bulldogs trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter. The 5-foot-5 junior finished with 8 points. Victoria Vivians led Mississippi State with 12 points. It was the first title for the SEC since the second of two straight by Tennessee in 2008, reports the AP. (More South Carolina Gamecocks stories.)