Smith's Stanford aim for NCAA title

If Alanna Smith's Stanford win the NCAA title they will likely have to pull off one of the biggest upsets in sport by beating the all-conquering Connecticut.

Alanna Smith's Stanford University will battle No.1 seeds the University of South Carolina for a berth in US college basketball's NCAA women's championship game.

Smith, a 20-year-old forward from Melbourne and daughter of former NBL star Darren Smith, has been one of second-seeded Stanford's stars in their four tournament victories to reach Friday's semi-final in Dallas.

The formidable University of Connecticut, also a No.1 seed and on an extraordinary 111-game win streak, face second seeds Mississippi State in Friday's other semi-final.

The winners will play the championship game on April 2.

Connecticut walloped the 10th-seeded University of Oregon 90-52 on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) and are red hot favourites to win their fifth successive NCAA title.

Oregon have three Australians on their roster: Jacinta Vandenberg, Morgan Yaeger and the injured Megan Trinder.

Vandenberg and Yaeger played just three minutes and were scoreless against Connecticut.

"I thought our defence was spectacular right from the opening possession and stayed that way pretty much throughout the whole game," Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said.

Smith, a graduate of Melbourne's Wesley College, was sensational in Stanford's 76-75 quarter-final win against another one seed, Notre Dame, on Sunday.

Smith scored twice in the final 51 seconds to seal her team's win.

In 33 minutes on the court she had 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.


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Source: AAP



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