Stanford, Baylor win spots in Final Four

Jeanette Pohlen made the biggest play yet to save Stanford’s spectacular season, on a night the Cardinal women were a far cry from their dominant selves.

Xavier stood up to mighty Stanford, all right.

Pohlen drove the length of the court for the game-winning layin as the final buzzer sounded, lifting top-seeded Stanford past third-seeded Xavier 55-53 in the Sacramento Regional final Monday night for a third straight trip to the Final Four.

Xavier’s Dee Dee Jernigan missed two wide-open layins in the closing 12 seconds that likely would have sent the Musketeers to San Antonio for their first Final Four.

“I was too anxious,” Jernigan said. “It was like a kid in a candy store. I was too open and didn’t think it was coming out.”

Stanford’s Kayla Pedersen inbounded the ball underneath the Xavier basket to Pohlen with 4.4 seconds left. Pohlen dribbled all the way for the winning shot. The play was briefly reviewed, then Stanford erupted in celebration once the officials ruled the basket good.

“It was only 4 seconds left, so I had to weave my way in and out,” Pohlen said. “But there was a lot (of time) to keep me going.”

Xavier’s Special Jennings collapsed to the floor, hands on her head. Teammate April Phillips grabbed her head in disbelief at midcourt while Stanford’s players jumped for joy.

These Musketeers hung with Stanford for all 40 minutes – and the Cardinal needed every bit of grit they had to move on for at least one more.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 16 points and 14 rebounds and Pedersen added 18 points and 10 boards for the Cardinal (35-1), who survived an intense defensive matchup from the physical Musketeers to win their 26th straight game in a foul-filled affair at Arco Arena.

They will play in the national semifinals Sunday in San Antonio against the winner of today’s matchup between Kentucky and Oklahoma.

The Cardinal overcame a cold first half in which it shot a season-low 25 percent – 7 for 28 – and missed 10 of 12 3-point tries. The 25-percent shooting was the Cardinal’s worst half of the season and only the third time they were below 30 percent.

Pohlen’s basket was just her second all night.

“I’m really excited for Jeanette. She just stayed with it,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “Played the whole game. Made the big play.”

Amber Harris scored 20 points and April Phillips added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for Xavier (30-4), which saw its 21-game winning streak end.

Stanford had to win it with star Jayne Appel on the bench. She fouled out with 3:58 left. Xavier’s 6-foot-6 Ta’Shia Phillips sat down with her fifth foul at the 5:32 mark.

Memphis Regional

Baylor 51, Duke 48: Baylor’s phenomenal freshman Brittney Griner caught a pass, spun around and hit a short jumper with 45 seconds left to propel the fourth-seeded Bears over No. 2 seed Duke for its second trip ever to the Final Four.

“I knew we needed that bucket so I did everything I could to get position and to have (the defender) pinned behind me and step through and go up strong,” Griner said.

The 6-foot-8 Griner and her teammates hoisted Kim Mulkey onto their shoulders so the coach could cut down the net. Mulkey led the Lady Bears to their only other appearance in the national semifinals in 2005 en route to the national championship.

“I’ve never had players tall enough to lift me to cut the net so that’s a first,” Mulkey said.

Duke led the second half, by as many as 10 points, until Griner’s basket.

The Blue Devils held a 46-38 advantage with 4:59 left before a pair of free throws by Kimetria Hayden launched a 13-2 run for the Lady Bears (27-9).

Krystal Thomas spent 26 minutes guarding Griner before fouling out with 2:17 left. That cleared the way for Griner, who hit the game-winning shot over Joy Cheek’s extended arm.

“When Krystal Thomas was fouled out, that’s the game. That’s the story. That’s it,” Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “If you take our best 6-4 player out of the game for the last three minutes, it changes the game enormously. And they took advantage.”

Baylor plays in the national semifinals against the winner of today’s Connecticut-Florida State game.