KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Admittedly, it came against an unbeatable 2016 UConn team led by Breanna Stewart. And back then Mississippi State was a less-experienced and not-as-accomplished offensive team. Still, the 38 points the Bulldogs scored in a Sweet 16 loss to the Huskies two seasons ago stuck in their craw.
And look how far they've come since. No. 1 seed Mississippi State advanced to the Final Four for the second year in a row on Sunday, beating No. 3 seed UCLA 89-73 in the Kansas City Regional final.
Last season, the Bulldogs were inspired by that 60-point loss to UConn and made it all the way to the national championship game, beating the Huskies along the way.