There you go, Kobe. Arike Ogunbowale displayed the Mamba Mentality again in the NCAA women's national championship.
Ogunbowale, who wears Kobe Bryant's No. 24, sank an off-balance 3-pointer with a tenth of a second remaining Sunday to give the Irish a 61-58 victory over Missisisppi State in the title game. The shot came two days after Ogunbowale referenced Bryant following her game-winner against UConn and Bryant responded on Twitter.
BENDER: Two buzzer-beaters, one special title for ND
ESPN's Holly Rowe reminded Ogunbowale of that exchange during the championship celebration interview Sunday:
Rowe: "Kobe said that you hadn't completed the job yet. What do you have to say to Kobe now?"
Ogunbowale: "It's over. The job is over. Mamba Mentality."
(ND guard Marina Mabrey enters the frame.)
Mabrey: ". . . the girl right here. Shout out, Kobe, that's two in a row."
Ogunbowale, laughing: "Shout out, Kobe."
Bryant, who was at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend, tweeted his thoughts after Ogunbowale's title-winning bucket:Arike Ogunbowale is as cool as ice after hitting game-winner to win National Championship...Shouts out Kobe again.....<3 pic.twitter.com/h8dXRcx7s7
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 2, 2018
WOW! @Arike_O #lifecomplete #MambaMentality
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 2, 2018
And Ogunbowale tweeted back:
— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) April 2, 2018
This article has been updated with corrected quotes by Ogunbowale and Mabrey.