How Iowa ended South Carolina's undefeated season and LSU toppled Virginia Tech

DALLAS — No team had been able to overcome South Carolina's dominance for 42 consecutive games. Until Friday night. Led by Caitlin Clark's second consecutive 41-point game — one of the greatest individual performances in Final Four history — Iowa pulled one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history, ending the Gamecocks' undefeated season 77-73.

The Hawkeyes, who advance to their first NCAA championship game in school history, will be joined by another first-timer in Sunday's title game. LSU trailed by nine points entering Friday's fourth quarter but rallied to beat Virginia Tech 79-72 in the other semifinal.

Clark's 41 points and eight assists — she scored or assisted on 58 of Iowa's 77 points — paced the Hawkeyes, who only trailed for a little over 2 minutes Friday. Iowa controlled the game from the outset and never wilted; South Carolina's largest lead was one point.

The Gamecocks' quest to win back-to-back titles and become the 10th team to run the table ended in the semifinals, along with a 42-game win streak that dated to March 6, 2022. And instead of the Gamecocks, the SEC will be represented in Sunday's final by the Tigers, who lost in the semifinals for five straight years (2004-08). Coach Kim Mulkey is looking for her fourth NCAA title after winning three with Baylor.

ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Charlie Creme and M.A. Voepel break down how Iowa shocked the world and how LSU pulled off an improbable comeback. They also take an early look at the Iowa-LSU matchup Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Despite Zia Cooke's 24 points, the Gamecocks struggle in stopping the Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark, dropping the 77-73 decision and ending their 42-game winning streak.

Creme: Every team collapses under the weight of the physical