Familiar foes meet again at the Final Four

By Arnie Stapleton

Associated Press

Published: Saturday, March 31 2012 3:05 p.m. MDT

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Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma talks with Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt during practice at the NCAA Women's Final Four college basketball tournament in Denver, Saturday, March 31, 2012. Connecticut takes on Notre Dame in a national semifinal on Sunday.

Eric Gay, Associated Press

Summary

The UConn-Notre Dame semifinal matchup at the Final Four offers no secrets or surprises.

DENVER — The UConn-Notre Dame semifinal matchup at the Final Four offers no secrets or surprises.

The Big East bullies are meeting for the fourth time this season and for the eighth time in the last 14 months. By contrast, the other game pits Stanford and Baylor playing for the first time since 2008 and for just the fourth time ever.

Coaches Geno Auriemma of Connecticut and Muffet McGraw of Notre Dame say this grudge match between such familiar foes will come down to execution and effort with a dollop of desire mixed in for good measure.

Forget the Xs and Os and leave the bag of tricks behind. They know each other's plays and personnel about as well as they know their own.

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