Betsy Harris scored 25 points as No. 16 Alabama attacked second-ranked Penn State from the start, then held off a late charge to earn its first trip to the women's Final Four with a 96-82 victory in the Midwest Regional finals Saturday night.
The Crimson Tide (26-6) refused to buckle down the stretch, hitting key 3-pointers and nailing free throws as the Lady Lions (28-3), rocked by a late technical on coach Rene Portland, could never catch up.Alabama, the sixth and lowest seed left in the tournament, will meet Louisiana Tech next Saturday in Richmond, Va.
For top-seeded Penn State, which had lost in the first or second round in each of the last three years, the season ended with another unexpected setback. The Lady Lions were still hoping for a comeback when Katina Nicholson was called for charging with 38.1 seconds left and Penn State trailing 87-82.
But Portland erupted on the sideline, cursing an official, and was slapped with a technical.
Harris made both free throws, boosting the Tide's lead to 89-82 and beginning Alabama's string of successful shots from the foul line down the stretch.
Alabama dominated the first half with its swarming pressure and led 52-41 at the outset of the second half before Penn State went on a 19-8 run.
Helen Holloway, who led the Lady Lions with 25 points, scored nine points in the surge, hitting from both the inside and outside as Penn State pulled even at 60 with 13:22 to play.
East Regional final
North Carolina 81, UConn 69
At Piscataway, N.J., Tonya Sampson scored 30 points and No. 4 North Carolina advanced to the Final Four for the first time by rallying in the second half to defeat No. 3 Connecticut in the East Regional final.
The victory was the 12th straight for the third-seeded Tar Heels (31-2) and it snapped a school-record 21 game winning streak for top-seeded Connecticut (30-3).
North Carolina, which just three years ago went 2-16 in the ACC, ended the streak with defense. It forced 13 of Connecticut's 30 turnovers in the final 17 minutes after the Huskies opened a 49-42 lead.
Sampson, who scored 53 points in the two games at Rutgers Athletic Center, ignited a 14-2 spurt with a three-point basket and a layup.
Jamelle Elliott put in a rebound for Connecticut, but Charlotte Smith, back in the lineup after a one-game suspension for punching an Old Dominion player last weekend, hit a driving layup.
Mideast Regional final
Louisiana Tech 75, Southern Cal 66
At Fayetteville, Ark., Debra Williams scored 26 points and tireless Pam Thomas ran Southern California ragged as Louisiana Tech earned a trip to the NCAA Final Four with a victory in the final of the Mideast Regional.
Fourth-seeded Tech (30-3) will be making its first Final Four appearance since 1990. The Lady Techsters have won 24 in a row since a 34-point loss to Tennessee in December.
Southern Cal (26-4), which hasn't been to the Final Four since 1986, twice led by seven points early in the second half. But Tech's pressure defense produced several turnovers and the Lady Techsters pulled even at 45 on consecutive baskets by LaShawn Brown.
Amy Brown's three-point play put Tech ahead to stay, 55-54, with 12:21 to play. Williams' rebound basket and 3-pointer gave Tech some breathing room, 64-58.
Nicky McCrimmon's driving layup cut it to 64-61, but Williams responded from the outside. Racquel Spurlock came up with a steal that resulted in a seven-point lead, and Southern Cal never got closer than five points the rest of the way.