The two teams had battled all night, with UConn attempting to make its 14th consecutive trip to the national semifinals and NC State attempting to make its first Final Four appearance since 1998.
Everything built up to one great game: There were two overtimes. There were thirteen lead changes. There were nine ties. The Total Mortgage Arena audience erupted all night as the teams swapped baskets.
This was a game in which you could feel your heartbeat in your ears and a lump at the top of your neck no matter whose side you were on. UConn hadn’t gone to the Final Four since 2007, while NC State hadn’t missed one in 24 years. The Wolfpack has been knocked out in three straight Sweet 16s.
UConn took an early 10-point lead, but NC State rallied to take a late lead and appear to be repeating their Sweet 16 triumph against Notre Dame. Then UConn appeared to have the game in hand until NC State’s Jakia Brown-Turner scored a corner 3 with less than a second remaining to force a second OT.
UConn sophomore Paige Bueckers scored the first goal of the second overtime session, and with NC State’s season on the line, Kai Crutchfield or “Clutchfield” nailed her second 3-pointer of the extra periods to draw NC State within two with 3:03 left in the game.
