Baylor books its first trip to final four

Top-ranked LSU also returned to the semifinals.

Baylor is headed to the Final Four for the first time.

Sophia Young scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and No. 2 seed Baylor beat top-seeded North Carolina 72-63 Monday night. Young was named MVP of the Tempe Regional in Tempe, Ariz.

The Lady Bears (31-3) extended their school-record winning streak to 18 games, leading by as many as 19 points in the second half against the Tar Heels (30-4), who had won 17 straight going into the game.

Chameka Scott, 0-for-9 from 3-point range in her previous two games, was 4-for-8 against North Carolina and scored 18 points for Baylor. Steffanie Blackmon added 14 points.

North Carolina, trying to join the Tar Heel men in the Final Four, shot just 32 percent. Ivory Latta, North Carolina's 5-foot-6 point guard, scored 21 but was bounced around all night by the Baylor defense and was just 6-for-22 shooting, 3-for-13 on 3-pointers. Leah Metcalf scored 11 and Nikita Bell 10 for the Tar Heels.

The Lady Bears, who hadn't even been to a regional final before, will play either LSU or Duke in the national semifinals on Sunday in Indianapolis.

LSU 59, Duke 49

LSU was finally picking on someone its own size, and it looked at first like the top-seeded Lady Tigers had gone soft from feasting on lesser opponents.

But not even Duke could long withstand All-American Seimone Augustus and LSU's furious defense. The top-seeded Lady Tigers are going to a second straight Final Four after beating the second-seeded Blue Devils 59-49 Monday night in the Chattanooga Regional final in Chattanooga, Tenn.

LSU was down early but tied it at halftime, went ahead in the opening minutes of the second half and never trailed again.

"I think it will help the team," Augustus said about being tested. "This is a big momentum getter and confidence booster."

The Lady Tigers (33-2) will face second-seeded Baylor, a 72-63 winner over top-seeded North Carolina, in the national semifinals Sunday in Indianapolis.

"For me, the first time is the best time, but it's good to get back," senior point guard Temeka Johnson said.

Augustus finished with 22 points and Sylvia Fowles added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

LSU beat its first three opponents in the tournament by an average of 36 points, but the competition was much tougher Monday.