MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jumper with less than a second left, lifting No. 4 Minnesota past No. 5 Mississippi 65-63 on Sunday and sending the Gophers to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 21 years, the Associated Press reported.
Battle finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. After taking the inbound pass near the paint, she dribbled along the baseline for space and swished the shot, then fell onto her back as teammates swarmed her in celebration, the AP reported. Tianna Thompson’s 3-point try for Mississippi hit the front of the rim and fell short at the other end.
Mara Braun scored a team-high 17 points for Minnesota, including a tying 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining. Braun also helped force a shot-clock violation by the Rebels on the ensuing possession, according to the AP. Sophie Hart added 10 points and gave the Gophers their first lead since early in the third quarter with a drop-step bank shot with 18 seconds left.
Latasha Lattimore tied the game for Mississippi with a layup with 3 seconds remaining before Battle’s winner. Cotie McMahon fouled out for Mississippi with 4:22 left after scoring 15 points, and the Rebels went the next 3:41 without a basket, the AP said. Minnesota will travel to Sacramento to face the winner of Monday’s game between No. 1 UCLA and No. 8 Oklahoma State.
The Gophers improved to 24-8 while Mississippi fell to 24-12, the AP reported.
