COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Basketball seasons can feel like they drag on forever and then, poof, they're over. A final destination is reached and a result and a bunch of memories are delivered in ways much more abrupt than whatever takes place over a four-month journey.
This latest season is over and it didn't end how UConn envisioned it would, but certainly in a way that is very familiar.
Notre Dame's Arike Ogunbowale hit a step-back jump shot over Napheesa Collier with one second left in overtime, dealing the Huskies a 91-89 loss in what will go down as a thrilling showcase for the sport and a sickening loss for the Huskies.
UConn (37-1) finished two victories shy of a national title, again, two victories shy of another perfect season. Last year, UConn lost on an overtime buzzer-beater by Mississippi State's Morgan William, and the Huskies had hoped to meet that same team in Sunday night's national championship game.
Notre Dame didn't let it happen, showing it belonged right away, and fighting off the Huskies, who made a miraculous comeback just to reach overtime, erasing a five-point deficit with 21.3 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Huskies trailed by 13 early and led by just three heading into the fourth quarter, needing virtually all 40 minutes of stave off a Notre Dame team that wouldn't go away. A 3-point play by Collier gave UConn a 72-67 lead, but the Irish responded with baskets by Kathryn Westbeld and Jackie Young.
Geno Auriemma called timeout with his team leading 72-71 with 3:31 remaining. UConn hadn't been tested like this since its four-point victory Jan. 15 at Texas.
Katie Lou Samuelson threw away an inbound pass and Ogunbowale hit a pull-up at the other end, giving the Irish a one-point lead. UConn took back the lead on Williams' jumper with 1:45 left. Jackie Young made two free throws to give Notre Dame a one-point lead, then Williams' errant pass set up another Notre Dame possession.
With just one second on the shot clock, Ogunbowale took an inbound pass and made a jumper over Kia Nurse for a 77-74 Notre Dame lead. Williams' committed a turnover on the ensuing possession, giving Notre Dame the ball back with 21.3 seconds remaining, and Ogunbowale's two free throws put UConn in a five-point hole.
Collier made a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left, and Kia Nurse stole an inbound pass and raced in alone for the tying layup with about nine seconds left. After a Notre Dame turnover, UConn had three seconds to work with, and Williams' couldn't get a turnaround shot to go at the buzzer.
Azura Stevens and Collier had been the biggest difference makers for much of the game. Stevens finished with 19 points and eight rebounds and was a consistent low post force when the season most demanded that UConn possess that.
Jackie Young was the game's best player, though, with 32 points. Her quickness and that of Ogunbowale were too much. Ogunbowle had 27 points.
Samuelson added 16 points, making four 3-pointers in a game where UConn otherwise struggled from the perimeter. Williams had 12 points and 10 rebounds and seven assists.
UConn was in the Final Four for the 11th year in a row.
So there's one game left, one big one _ and UConn won't be in it. Notre Dame faces Mississippi State Sunday night at 6 p.m.
The Bulldogs ended UConn's hopes for a fifth title in a row, and ended a 111-game winning streak, with an overtime victory at last year's Final Four in Dallas. That loss took place a year ago Saturday, and it was UConn's only loss one in the past 149 games, the main motivation to finishing this season the right way.
Friday's game tipped off at 9:53 p.m., about a half hour after Mississippi State earned its spot in the final with an overtime victory over Louisville, and nothing came easy for UConn.
Notre Dame was sure with the ball and disruptive without taking an early double-digit lead, just like it did in a December regular season meeting with the Huskies in Hartford.
It was 13-6 at the first media timeout, then 15-6. Jackie Young, who scored 11 points in the first quarter on 5-for-6 shooting, was the main problem for UConn on defense, and the Huskies were there own enemy on offense, missing several open shots (even layups). Notre Dame's consistent shooting kept the Huskies out of transition, and this became a game they would have to wrestle back before it got too far away from them.
Williams and Stevens gave UConn the attitude and muscle needed, and UConn began to look more like itself. The Irish lead was 13 late in the first quarter and Samuelson beat the buzzer with an off-balanced 3-pointer to make it 24-14 heading into the second.
That basket started a 30-6 run, and UConn was on the verge of taking control.
