In my original commentary, I posited the improbable prospect of South Carolina emulating UConn by having both women and men win their respective championships. Sure enough, Carolina women and men won. It’s just that the feat was more north-south than south-south.
For the women’s championship, South Carolina played a Mississippi team that seemed still in shock after upsetting prohibitive favorite UConn in the Final Four. It defeated Mississippi State in a relative rout 67-55.
Mississippi State slayed the giant, but South Carolina ended up with the spoils. …
While Mississippi State snapped Connecticut’s 111-game winning streak in the semifinals Friday night, it couldn’t replicate the magic in its third straight matchup against a No. 1 seed in this tournament.
(ESPN Bleacher Report, April 2, 2017)
South Carolina is now celebrating its first national championship.
For the men’s championship, North Carolina redeemed its buzzer-beating loss to Villanova in last year’s championship. It defeated Gonzaga handily 71-65.
The No. 1-seeded Tar Heels returned many of the players who left the court in Houston devastated a year ago. But at University of Phoenix Stadium, they could finally bask in the confetti that rained down from the rafters.
They beat Gonzaga, another No. 1 seed, which was making its first appearance in the Final Four.
(New York Times, April 4, 2017)
North Carolina is now celebrating its sixth national championship.
Related commentaries:
Final Four…
Miss upsets UConn…
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