COLUMBUS, Ohio — Of course it ended this way: nothing easily won, no breathing room, nothing decided until the final seconds, and then the great release of victory.
A riveting Final Four ended on Sunday for Notre Dame just as the semifinals had on Friday, with guard Arike Ogunbowale hitting a late, rescuing shot, this one giving the Irish their second N.C.A.A. women’s basketball title with a 61-58 victory over Mississippi State.
With three seconds remaining, Mississippi State’s 6-foot-7 center Teaira McCowan drew her fifth foul during a wild scramble at midcourt to prevent the Irish from getting a wide-open layup.