The University of Notre Dame Women’s basketball are back in the Hoosier State as the 2018 NCCA champions.
This is the first National Championship for Notre Dame Women’s Basketball since 2001.
It all came down to a single 3-point shot by Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale. Made with a tenth of a second to go, the shot gave the Irish a 61-58 victory over Mississippi State.
Speaking with Steve Inskeep today on Morning Edition, Coach Muffat McGraw said the number of injuries during the season made the win a total surprise.
“It’s a little bit of luck,” Muffat said, “the luck of the Irish Easter Sunday with all those Catholics praying for us had to be working in our favor.”
The Fighting Irish finished the season with just 7 scholarship players on the active roster, and suffered more ACL tears than losses over the course of the season.
Last night’s big bucket by Ogunbowale, is the second in as many games, she made a three pointer in the waning seconds of last Friday’s semifinals against the University of Connecticut to send the Irish to the Championship game.