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