Conn’s record 111-game winning streak came to a startling end when Mississippi State pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history, shocking the Huskies, 66-64, on Morgan William’s overtime buzzer beater in the national semifinals Friday night.

William hit a 15-footer to cap it, moments after a replay review awarded UConn two free throws for a flagrant 1 foul call that tied the game with 26.6 seconds left.

The Bulldogs (34-4) will play South Carolina for the national championship Sunday night in a matchup of two SEC teams.

Mississippi State and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last season and the Huskies won by 60 points — the biggest win in regional semifinals history. All season long the Bulldogs had that humiliating loss on their minds.

Now they’ve erased that defeat, beating UConn (36-1) — which had won the last four national championships — on the grandest stage in one of the sport’s greatest games.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma had a wry smile on his face after the final shot. There wasn’t much else he could do, another title suddenly beyond his grasp.

Mississippi State led, 64-62, before a replay review gave Katie Lou Samuelson the two free throws that tied the game. After a UConn turnover, William held the ball at the top of the key before dribbling to her right and pulling up for the shot, with the ball in the air when the buzzer sounded.

The Bulldogs ran onto the court, piling up at center court while UConn players stood stonefaced. Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer grabbed William in a bear hug, with former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott — the Dallas Cowboys quarterback — helping lead the cheers.</s>DALLAS — On Friday night, deep in the heart of Texas, the UConn women’s basketball team finally experienced something the Han, Habsburgs and Romans know all too well.

The slayers were Mississippi State, an athletic, tough-minded team from the Southeastern Conference that did something few UConn opponents have ever done over the last couple of years: They took it to the four-time defending champs right from the opening tip.

Hours later, at 11:10 p.m. Central Time, Mississippi State junior guard Morgan William hit a 14-foot pull-up jumper as time expired for a 66–64 overtime victory. If you looked at UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s face at that exact moment, he had a broad smile. It was as if he knew the end of the streak was coming. William’s face registered pure joy.

“When it went in, it was almost like, ‘Of course. Of course, it's going to go in,’” Auriemma said. “She's (William) had an amazing run so far. Look, nobody's won more than we've won. I understand losing, believe it or not. We haven't lost in a while, but I understand it. I know how to appreciate when other people win.”

After the shot went down, Mississippi State’s players flooded the Americans Airlines Center court as if they had won a national title. William was grabbed in a bear hug by senior guard Dominique Dillingham​ and then tackled by the rest of her team. Mississippi State alum and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went nuts from his seat in the second row and made his way onto the court. Jay-Z’s “On To The Next One” played over the speakers above. It was sheer ecstasy if you were a Bulldog.

“When I made the shot, I was in shock,” said William, who scored 41 points against Baylor in the Regional Final. “I'm still in shock.”

Generously listed at 5'5" but with heart double that size, William played 44 minutes and finished with 13 points, including the biggest shot in school history (at least as of now). Her basket ended UConn’s streak of 111 consecutive victories as well as this preposterous stat: UConn’s last loss prior to Friday night was 866 days ago, on Nov. 17, 2014, when Stanford pulled out an 88–86 win in overtime at Maples Pavilion.

“This was about two basketball teams, two great teams, competitors, tough, physical, aggressive basketball teams,” said Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer. “We beat the greatest team, with the greatest streak in the history of sports. You got to give them a lot of credit. We didn't have to play them the best out of seven. Didn't have to play the best out of five. We just had to beat them one time, just beat them one time.”

In the overtime period with the game tied at 60, Victoria Vivans, Mississippi State’s best player and leading scorer with 19 points, fouled out with 3:57 left. But Mississippi State did not fold. Schaefer screamed, “Down,” a play designed for William to get the ball inside to sophomore center Teaira McCowan, and William delivered the ball deep in the post. The 6-foot-7 McCowan turned toward the basket and hit an easy layup to give the Bulldogs a 64–62 lead with 1:13 left in overtime.

On UConn’s next possession, UConn sophomore forward Gabby Williams made a sloppy pass inside that was deflected by McCowan and resulted in a turnover. But Mississippi State failed to put the game away on a missed three by guard Blair Schaefer, the daughter of the coach. That left one last UConn possession after Auriemma called a time out with 26.6 seconds left.

But during the time out, the officials looked at replay of the errant pass by Williams and saw that UConn sophomore guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson had been fouled hard to the ground by Dillingham, who had elbowed Samuelson to the throat. The officials called a flagrant-1 foul on the play, and not surprisingly, both the Mississippi State crowd and Schaefer were apoplectic. Samuelson hit both free throws to tie the score at 64–64 and UConn had the ball for one last possession to win. But UConn senior guard Saniya Chong rushed the final possession and drove to the basket with 12.3 left. She tangled up with William and no foul was called. It was now Mississippi State’s ball, with one last chance to make history.

“The kid (William) made a great play,” Auriemma said. “I thought Saniya did a pretty good job defending her. We said if they're going to make a shot, it's got to be a pull-up jump shot. Can't be a standstill, can't be a layup. That's one of the toughest shots to make from that distance under that kind of pressure. I always tell my team, one play doesn't cost you a game. It almost never does. One play doesn't cost you a game. But a lot of times, you know, one play will win you a game. That's exactly what she did.”

UConn took its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter at 40–39 on a put back by sophomore forward Napheesa Collier. The final period started tied at 48—the first time UConn had been tied heading into the final period during its long winning streak—and if you looked into the crowd, you saw Breanna Stewart, the four-time national champion for UConn and current Seattle Storm star, biting her hands from nerves and with good reason.

After trading baskets in the final period, Vivans made a layup off a gorgeous spin move late in the shot clock that put Mississippi State up 56–52 with 3:52 left in regulation. But UConn tied the game at 60 when Collier made 1 of 2 free throws with 28 seconds left. Schaefer called a timeout with 20.8 seconds remaining in regulation and William had a chance to win the game without the extra session, but Williams blocked her shot. It was then onto overtime tied at 60, the first extra period at the women’s Final Four since 2012.

Mississippi State players had looked forward to the possibility of this game all season, and Vivans revealed on Thursday that the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator had placed the number 60 on the window in the team’s training facility as a reminder of UConn’s 60-point beat down of Mississippi State in last year’s tournament. “We see it every day,” Vivans said. “It didn’t leave our heads at all.”

If UConn had a weakness this year it was in the half court offense, given it was undersized in the post. Immediately after the tip, Mississippi State established post dominance with McCowan hitting a pair of layups in the first three minutes. The Bulldogs owned the glass in the first half (a 21 to 11 advantage) and an 8–0 run to end the opening quarter had UConn looking like Glass Joe in the old Nintendo Punch Out game.

Earlier in the second quarter Mississippi State extended its lead to 29–13, the largest deficit UConn had faced at any point of this season. (The previous high had been seven against UCLA.) It was a total reversal of last year’s regional semifinal game where UConn routed Mississippi State, 98–38, in Bridgeport, Conn. In that game, UConn led 32–4 after the first quarter.

“We kind of lived a charmed life for a long time, for a whole five months,” Auriemma said. “I told them at halftime it's a miracle we're only down eight [36–28]. We knew it was going to be only a matter of five, six minutes before we got it back. But they were just better. You know what? When stuff like this happens, it kind of makes me shake my head and go, ‘You know how many times this could have happened and it didn't happen?’ The fact that it never happened, that doesn't mean I went home thinking, ‘It's never going to happen.’ I knew this was coming at some point. I'm just shocked that it took this long to get here. We're playing way above our years and way above our experience level. Tonight it caught up to us.”

Here’s the thing for Mississippi State: They still have one more mountain to climb. On Sunday night they face conference rival South Carolina for the third time this season. The winner will be the first new women’s basketball champion since 2012. In the Mississippi State locker room after the game, anchor Robin Roberts, who played college basketball at Southeastern Louisiana University in the early and refers to Pass Christian, Mississippi as her hometown,​ addressed the team, praising how they had elevated the sport.

“We’ve been beaten twice by South Carolina,” Schaefer said. “Our kids, we know what's coming down the pike. It won't take much to get their attention. That's our job, my job as the coach. They know now the prize is in front of them, it's attainable. We've got one heck of a team to get ready for, a tremendous staff. They're really, really good. They've obviously changed their system a little bit throughout the course of the season. But it's down to two of us, Southeastern Conference teams playing for the national championship. Hey, that's pretty special.”

If the title game is anything like we saw on Friday night, bring it on. There’s going to be a new national champion in women’s basketball and that’s an exciting prospect. Sure, UConn will back next year with all of its key players returning and a new army of prospects, but for this year in Dallas, the King is dead. Long live the old king. Get ready for a new one.</s>With UConn riding an 111-game win streak, Mississippi State knocked off the Huskies on Morgan William's overtime buzzer-beater. The Bulldogs will face South Carolina in the title game. (3:03)

DALLAS -- When the final shot beat the buzzer and UConn's record streak was over, Geno Auriemma had to smile.

After all the winning, the Huskies coach could appreciate a thrilling victory -- even from the other side.

UConn's 111-game run came to a stunning end when Mississippi State pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in women's basketball history, winning 66-64 on Morgan William's overtime jumper in the national semifinals Friday night.

"You know what? When stuff like this happens, it kind of makes me shake my head and go, `You know how many times this could have happened and it didn't happen?'" Auriemma said. "The fact that it never happened, that doesn't mean I went home thinking it's never going to happen. I knew this was coming at some point.

"I'm just shocked that it took this long to get here."

The Huskies hadn't lost in 865 days, with that defeat coming to Stanford in overtime on Nov. 17, 2014. Winning had become routine, often by routs. But in an instant, their drive toward a fifth consecutive national championship had been blocked.

When William's jumper dropped, Auriemma broke into that wry smile. He turned to his bench, then went to congratulate the Bulldogs.

"I just kind of shook my head. This kid's had an incredible run," Auriemma said. "When it went in, it was almost like, of course. Of course, it's going to go in."

"Look, nobody's won more than we've won," he said. "I understand losing, believe it or not. We haven't lost in a while, but I understand it. I know how to appreciate when other people win."

It took an incredible shot by Mississippi State's diminutive point guard to end the historic streak.

William hit a 15-footer to cap it, moments after a replay review awarded UConn two free throws for a flagrant 1 foul call that tied the game with 26.6 seconds left.

"I live for moments like this," William said. "UConn, they're an incredible team. For me to make that shot against them, it's unbelievable. I'm still in shock right now. I wanted to take the shot. I wanted to take the shot and I made it."

William's shot came one game after she scored a career-high 41 points to help Mississippi State beat Baylor and advance to its first Final Four.

The Bulldogs (34-4) will play South Carolina for the national championship Sunday night in a matchup of two SEC teams.

Mississippi State and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last season and the Huskies won by 60 points -- the most lopsided win in regional semifinals history. All season the Bulldogs had that humiliating loss on their minds.

Now they've erased that defeat, beating UConn (36-1) on the grandest stage in one of the sport's greatest games.

"I don't have to play them 100 times. Only have to beat them once," Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. "That is one heck of a basketball team, the greatest of all time. But how proud am I of my kids?"

Mississippi State led 64-62 before a replay review gave Katie Lou Samuelson the two free throws that tied the game. After a UConn turnover, William held the ball at the top of the key before dribbling to her right and pulling up for the shot, with the ball in the air when the buzzer sounded.

The Bulldogs ran onto the court, piling up at center court while UConn players stood stone-faced. Schaefer grabbed William in a bear hug, with former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott -- the Dallas Cowboys quarterback -- helping lead the cheers in a sellout crowd.

Prescott said he'd try to come back Sunday for the title game.

UConn rallied from a 16-point deficit, its biggest during its NCAA record streak, to take a 59-56 lead in the fourth quarter. The teams were tied at 60 when the Bulldogs had a chance to win it in regulation, but William's shot was blocked by Gabby Williams, sending the game into overtime.

"Maybe we're just not ready for this. Maybe we were ready for everything else, but maybe we're just not mature enough for this," Auriemma said. "Maybe all our young kids needed to experience this so that we can come back and really be ready for this."

Neither team scored much in OT, with Teaira McCowan's layup with 1:12 left in the extra session breaking a 62-62 tie. It was the lone basket for Mississippi State in OT until William's game winner.

During their past two decades of dominance, when they've won 11 national championships, the Huskies rarely found themselves trailing -- let alone by double digits. This was the first time this season that UConn was losing in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start, taking it right at the Huskies like not many teams had done during the streak. The Bulldogs led 15-13 before scoring 14 straight points to go up 29-13. It was the biggest deficit UConn had faced during its historic streak and one of the largest during the past 22 years.

The Huskies rallied to within 29-25 as senior Saniya Chong scored seven points during a 12-0 run. Mississippi State answered and was up 36-28 at the half.

UConn came back in the third quarter behind its trio of All-Americans with Williams, Napheesa Collier and Samuelson keying a 12-3 run to start the second half. That run brought Huskies alums Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore, who were sitting 20 rows behind the UConn bench, to their feet.

"We had an incredible run, but we came up against a much better team tonight," Auriemma said.

Streak buster - The loss ended a 28-game NCAA tournament winning streak for UConn. The last loss came to Notre Dame in 2012 in the Final Four. That was the last OT game in the national semifinals.

QB connection - Prescott wasn't the only quarterback in attendance on Friday night. Donovan McNabb was also in Dallas, cheering on niece Kia Nurse, who stars for Connecticut. Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was supporting his sister Anna, who is a freshman at Stanford in the first game.

Good morning, Mississippi - "Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts was sitting at center court. She was cheering on the Bulldogs, who hail from her home state. Roberts brought out a Bulldogs jersey on her morning show.</s>DALLAS, Texas — Mississippi State brought Connecticut and its 111-game winning streak crashing down.

Guard Morgan William hit a 10-foot jumper at the buzzer and the Bulldogs grasped a 66-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament semifinals that shocked the college basketball nation Friday night at the American Airlines Center.

“I got enough space, I jumped up and made the shot,” William said. “I was in shock. I’m still in shock. I’m over here like, ‘Man, I just won the game.’”

The Bulldogs led 64-62 before a flagrant foul call on Mississippi State guard Dominique Dillingham allowed Connecticut’s Katie Lou Samuelson to tie the game at the free-throw line with 26.6 seconds remaining in the extra period.

But the Huskies couldn’t score on the ensuing possession as Mississippi State created a turnover to set up William’s decisive shot.

Guard Victoria Vivians scored 19 points to lead Mississippi State. William finished with 13, forward Breanna Richardson added 12 and forward Teaira McCowan pitched in 10.

Forward Gabby Williams scored 21 to lead the Huskies and Samuelson finished with 15.

Connecticut (36-1), in its 10th straight Final Four, will not get a chance to add to its streak of four consecutive national championships. But Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said he wasn’t surprised by the result.

“We’re playing way above our years and way above our experience level,” Auriemma said. “Tonight, it caught up to us. When we really needed to be a little more mature with what we’re doing, we didn’t have it. A big part of that was because of what they were doing.”

Mississippi State (34-4) advances to play South Carolina in an All-Southeastern Conference title game on Sunday evening back at the American Airlines Center. The Bulldogs finished one game behind South Carolina in the SEC standings.

Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and the Bulldogs players said they believed they could win the game even before taking a big lead in the first half.

“Obviously, I’m extremely proud of my group,” Shaefer said. “What an unbelievable, gutsy performance that no one in the country probably thought could happen. But we knew it could happen.”

Vivians drove baseline and spun to get an open look that she converted to give Mississippi State a 56-52 lead with 3:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, forcing Auriemma to call timeout.

The Huskies scored seven straight points, but Vivians hit a 3-pointer that gave Mississippi State a 60-59 lead with 1:14 remaining.

UConn’s Napheesa Collier hit a free throw to tie it at 60 with 27 seconds left and Williams blocked William’s last-second attempt to win the game in regulation.

Earlier, Mississippi State had gone ahead by 10 when Richardson hit a jumper 20 seconds into the second half.

The Huskies went on a 12-1 run and took their first lead of the game when Collier hit a jumper in the lane, putting Connecticut in front 40-39 with 6:14 to go in the third quarter.

“I knew we were in good shape,” Auriemma said. “We knew it was going to be only a matter of five, six minutes before we got it back. But (Mississippi State was) just better.”

A year ago, Mississippi State fell behind the Huskies by 28 points after the first quarter when Connecticut handed the Bulldogs a 60-point loss in the Sweet 16.

Mississippi State flipped the script on Connecticut this time around as the Bulldogs claimed a 16-point lead early in the second quarter.

“We had our pride stepped on last year,” Schaefer said. “Because of that, these three right here (Vivians, Richardson and William at the postgame press conference) and the rest of their teammates, they’ve kind of been on a little bit of a mission.”

Vivians, who led Mississippi State with 12 points in the first half, made a layup to put the Bulldogs ahead 29-13 with 7:36 left until halftime.

But Connecticut fired back at that point.

Guard Saniya Chong sparked the Huskies by scoring seven during a 12-0 run to close the gap. Chong capped the surge with a 3-pointer that cut Mississippi State’s lead to 29-25 with 3:44 left in the second quarter.

Mississippi State still took an eight-point lead to halftime after out-rebounding the Huskies 21-11 in the first 20 minutes.

The Bulldogs scored 12 second-chance points in the first half while holding Connecticut to a single offensive rebound in the same period.</s>The Mississippi State University women's basketball team ended the University of Connecticut's winning streak, in an upset victory in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.</s>The unthinkable has happened! The UConn Huskies lost in an upset to Mississippi State in the women’s NCAA Final Four game Mar. 31. We’ve got the details on how their record 111 winning streak came to a heartbreaking end.

It had to happen one day for the UConn Huskies, that would be a losing game and it went down against scrappy Mississippi State on Mar. 31 in the women’s 2017 Final Four. Morgan William put up a last second buzzer shot that put the Bulldogs ahead 66-64 in OT and earned the team a trip to the national championship game Apr. 2. The Huskies are the FOUR TIME defending NCAA champs, and it looked their fifth title was pretty much a given. Nope, because Mississippi state just ended their massive 111 game winning streak, the most of any college team in any sport.

This was sweet revenge for the Bulldogs, who lost to UConn in the 2016 Sweet 16 by 60 points. That is not a typo, 6-0 points! That loss has been on their mind all season and they finally got their ultimate redemption by knocking off the top team in women’s NCAA basketball.

The Bulldogs had such an amazing run in the tourney, giving Baylor a massive upset during the Elite Eight. Morgan was the hero in that game as well, and had a night for the ages with 41 points and 7 assists with no turnovers in a 94-85 overtime win. To cap off a Final Four win with a last second buzzer shot against the best team in women’s basketball means her name will never be forgotten in one of the most incredible upsets in college sports history. Our minds are truly blown at Mississippi State’s incredible accomplishment.

HollywoodLifers, are you shocked that UConn finally lost? Do you think Mississippi State will go all the way and win the NCAA Championship?</s>UCONN’S record 111-game winning streak came to a startling end when Mississippi State pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history, shocking the Huskies 66-64 on Morgan William’s overtime buzzer beater in the national semifinals Friday night.

William hit a 15-footer to cap it, moments after a replay review awarded UConn two free throws for a flagrant 1 foul call that tied the game with 26.6 seconds left.

The Bulldogs (34-4) will play South Carolina for the national championship Sunday night in a matchup of two SEC teams.

Mississippi State (33-5) and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last season and the Huskies won by 60 points -- the most-lopsided win in regional semifinals history. All season long the Bulldogs had that humiliating loss on their minds.

Now they’ve erased that defeat, beating UConn (36-1) -- which had won the last four national championships -- on the grandest stage in one of the sport’s greatest games.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma had a wry smile on his face after the final shot. There wasn’t much else he could do, another title suddenly beyond his grasp.

Mississippi State led 64-62 before a replay review gave Katie Lou Samuelson the two free throws that tied the game. After a UConn turnover, William held the ball at the top of the key before dribbling to her right and pulling up for the shot, with the ball in the air when the buzzer sounded.

The Bulldogs ran onto the court, piling up at center court while UConn players stood stonefaced. Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer grabbed William in a bear hug, with former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott -- the Dallas Cowboys quarterback -- helping lead the cheers.

UConn rallied from a 16-point deficit, its biggest during its NCAA record streak, to take a 59-56 lead in the fourth quarter. The teams were tied at 60 when the Bulldogs had a chance to win it in regulation, but William’s shot was blocked, sending the game into overtime.

The Huskies hadn’t lost in 865 days, with that defeat coming to Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.

Neither team scored much in OT with Teaira McCowan’s layup with 1:12 left in the extra session breaking a 62-62 tie. It was the lone basket for Mississippi State in OT until William’s game-winner.

During their last two decades of dominance where they’ve won 11 national championships, the Huskies rarely found themselves trailing -- let alone by double-digits. This was the first time this season that UConn was losing in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start, taking it right at the Huskies like not many teams had done during the streak. The Bulldogs led 15-13 before scoring 14 straight points to go up 29-13. It was the biggest deficit UConn had faced during its historic streak and one of the largest during the last 22 years, which the Huskies have dominated with 11 national championships.

The Huskies rallied to within 29-25 as senior Saniya Chong scored seven points during a 12-0 run. Mississippi State answered and was up 36-28 at the half.

UConn came back in the third quarter behind its trio of All-Americans with Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier and Samuelson keying a 12-3 run to start the second half. That run brought Huskies alums Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore, who were sitting 20 rows behind the UConn bench, to their feet.

STREAK BUSTER: The loss ended a 28-game NCAA Tournament winning streak for UConn. The last loss came to Notre Dame in 2012 in the Final Four. That was the last OT game in the national semifinals.

O T TROUBLES: UConn has lost its last five OT games.

QUARTERBACK CONNECTION: Prescott wasn’t the only QB in attendance on Friday night. Donovan McNabb was also in Dallas, cheering on niece Kia Nurse, who stars for Connecticut. Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was supporting his sister Anna, who is a freshman at Stanford in the first game.

GOOD MORNING MISSISSIPPI: Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts was sitting at center court. She was cheering on the Bulldogs, who hail from her home state. Roberts brought out a Bulldogs jersey on her morning show.</s>DALLAS | When the final shot beat the buzzer and UConn’s record streak was over, Geno Auriemma had to smile.

After all the winning, the Huskies coach could appreciate a thrilling victory — even from the other side.

UConn’s 111-game run came to a stunning end when Mississippi State pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history, winning 66-64 on Morgan William’s overtime jumper in the national semifinals Friday night.

Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott (15) cheers during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Connecticut and Mississippi State in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Connecticut guard Crystal Dangerfield (5) is blocked by Mississippi State guard Jazzmun Holmes (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Mississippi State guard Morgan William (2) drives to the basket as Connecticut center Natalie Butler (51) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Mississippi State guard Morgan William, center, celebrates with teammates after she hit the winning shot at the buzzer in overtime to defeat Connecticut in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Mississippi State guard Morgan William (2) celebrates with teammates after she hit the winning shot in overtime to defeat Connecticut in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Mississippi State guard Morgan William (2) is hugged by Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, center, after their NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Connecticut guard Crystal Dangerfield (5) sits in the locker room after the team's loss to Mississippi State in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma questions a call during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State during an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas.(AP Photo/LM Otero) Mississippi State guard Morgan William (2) celebrates after she hit the winning shot in overtime to defeat Connecticut in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Mississippi State guard Morgan William (2) shoots the winning shot against Connecticut in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Mississippi State guard Morgan William (2) shoots over Connecticut guard Gabby Williams (15) for the winning shot in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Mississippi State center Teaira McCowan (15) celebrates the team's win over Connecticut in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the women's Final Four, Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Dallas. Mississippi State won 66-64. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

“You know what? When stuff like this happens, it kind of makes me shake my head and go, ‘You know how many times this could have happened and it didn’t happen?'” Auriemma said. “The fact that it never happened, that doesn’t mean I went home thinking it’s never going to happen. I knew this was coming at some point.”

“I’m just shocked that it took this long to get here,” he said.

The Huskies hadn’t lost in 865 days, with that defeat coming to Stanford in overtime on Nov. 17, 2014. Winning had become routine, often by routs. But in an instant, their drive toward a fifth consecutive national championship had been blocked.

When William’s jumper dropped, Auriemma broke into that wry smile. He turned to his bench, then went to congratulate the Bulldogs.

“I just kind of shook my head. This kid’s had an incredible run,” Auriemma said. “When it went in, it was almost like, of course. Of course, it’s going to go in.”

“Look, nobody’s won more than we’ve won,” he said. “I understand losing, believe it or not. We haven’t lost in a while, but I understand it. I know how to appreciate when other people win.”

It took an incredible shot by Mississippi State’s diminutive point guard to end the historic streak.

William hit a 15-footer to cap it, moments after a replay review awarded UConn two free throws for a flagrant 1 foul call that tied the game with 26.6 seconds left.

“I live for moments like this,” William said. “UConn, they’re an incredible team. For me to make that shot against them, it’s unbelievable. I’m still in shock right now. I wanted to take the shot. I wanted to take the shot and I made it.”

William’s shot came one game after she scored a career-high 41 points to help Mississippi State beat Baylor and advance to its first Final Four.

The Bulldogs (34-4) will play South Carolina for the national championship Sunday night in a matchup of two SEC teams.

Mississippi State and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last season and the Huskies won by 60 points — the most-lopsided win in regional semifinals history. All season long the Bulldogs had that humiliating loss on their minds.

Now they’ve erased that defeat, beating UConn (36-1) on the grandest stage in one of the sport’s greatest games.

“I don’t have to play them 100 times. Only have to beat them once,” Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. “That is one heck of a basketball team, the greatest of all-time. But how proud am I of my kids?”

Mississippi State led 64-62 before a replay review gave Katie Lou Samuelson the two free throws that tied the game. After a UConn turnover, William held the ball at the top of the key before dribbling to her right and pulling up for the shot, with the ball in the air when the buzzer sounded.

The Bulldogs ran onto the court, piling up at center court while UConn players stood stone-faced. Schaefer grabbed William in a bear hug, with former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott — the Dallas Cowboys quarterback — helping lead the cheers in a sellout crowd.

Prescott said he’d try to come back Sunday for the title game.

UConn rallied from a 16-point deficit, its biggest during its NCAA record streak, to take a 59-56 lead in the fourth quarter. The teams were tied at 60 when the Bulldogs had a chance to win it in regulation, but William’s shot was blocked by Gabby Williams, sending the game into overtime.

“Maybe we’re just not ready for this. Maybe we were ready for everything else, but maybe we’re just not mature enough for this,” Auriemma said. “Maybe all our young kids needed to experience this so that we can come back and really be ready for this.”

Neither team scored much in OT with Teaira McCowan’s layup with 1:12 left in the extra session breaking a 62-62 tie. It was the lone basket for Mississippi State in OT until William’s game-winner.

During their last two decades of dominance where they’ve won 11 national championships, the Huskies rarely found themselves trailing — let alone by double-digits. This was the first time this season that UConn was losing in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start, taking it right at the Huskies like not many teams had done during the streak. The Bulldogs led 15-13 before scoring 14 straight points to go up 29-13. It was the biggest deficit UConn had faced during its historic streak and one of the largest during the last 22 years, which the Huskies have dominated with 11 national championships.

The Huskies rallied to within 29-25 as senior Saniya Chong scored seven points during a 12-0 run. Mississippi State answered and was up 36-28 at the half.

UConn came back in the third quarter behind its trio of All-Americans with Williams, Napheesa Collier and Samuelson keying a 12-3 run to start the second half. That run brought Huskies alums Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore, who were sitting 20 rows behind the UConn bench, to their feet.

“We had an incredible run, but we came up against a much better team tonight,” Auriemma said.

STREAK BUSTER: The loss ended a 28-game NCAA Tournament winning streak for UConn. The last loss came to Notre Dame in 2012 in the Final Four. That was the last OT game in the national semifinals.

QUARTERBACK CONNECTION: Prescott wasn’t the only QB in attendance on Friday night. Donovan McNabb was also in Dallas, cheering on niece Kia Nurse, who stars for Connecticut. Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was supporting his sister Anna, who is a freshman at Stanford in the first game.

GOOD MORNING MISSISSIPPI: Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts was sitting at center court. She was cheering on the Bulldogs, who hail from her home state. Roberts brought out a Bulldogs jersey on her morning show.</s>DALLAS — The longest winning streak in women’s or men’s college basketball history ended late Friday night with a stunning upset. The No. 1 UConn Huskies women’s basketball team lost to No. 2 Mississippi State in overtime in the NCAA Final Four semi-final, 66-64.

The Bulldogs’ Morgan William hit a buzzer-beating jumpshot to win the game.

Connecticut had won 111 games in a row. They were playing in their 10th straight Final Four.

Read more on the WTIC FOX61 website.</s>DALLAS (AP) - UConn's record 111-game winning streak came to a startling end when Mississippi State pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in women's basketball history, shocking the Huskies 66-64 on Morgan William's overtime buzzer beater in the national semifinals Friday night.

 

William hit a 15-footer to cap it, moments after a replay review awarded UConn two free throws for a flagrant 1 foul call that tied the game with 26.6 seconds left.

 

The Bulldogs (34-4) will play South Carolina for the national championship Sunday night in a matchup of two SEC teams.

 

Mississippi State and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last season and the Huskies won by 60 points - the biggest win in regional semifinals history. All season long the Bulldogs had that humiliating loss on their minds.

 

Now they've erased that defeat, beating UConn (36-1) - which had won the last four national championships - on the grandest stage in one of the sport's greatest games.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Women's basketball Mississippi State defeats four-time defending national champion Connecticut 66–64, ending the Huskies' NCAA-record winning streak at 111 games.