SEATTLE - The way Seimone Augustus was shooting, the LSU mascot could have coached the Tigers.
Augustus scored 29 on 14-of-19 shooting, and Temeka Johnson added 12 points and 13 assists, leading fourth-seeded LSU to a 71-55 win over top-seeded Texas on Saturday night in their region semifinal.
The Tigers (26-7) advanced to meet the Purdue-Georgia winner.
LSU looked great under acting coach Dana "Pokey" Chatman, who has filled in while Basketball Hall of Fame member Sue Gunter battled acute bronchitis.
The Longhorns (30-5) won last year's meeting 78-60 to reach the Final Four, and it was sweet for the Tigers to take the rematch.
Augustus hit 6-of-8 from the floor in the first half to help LSU to a 37-24 lead at the break.
Augustus was just getting warmed up because LSU kept rolling in the second half.
The Longhorns cut the deficit to 43-35 after a rebound and putback by Heather Schreiber and a layup by Tiffany Jackson, but Augustus made four baskets during a 14-5 run to force a Texas timeout with 7:56 left.
Doneeka Hodges hit a 3-pointer coming out of that break, Tillie Willis scored another field goal and Augustus got free for a fastbreak basket, putting the Tigers up 64-45 with 5:39 left.
PENN ST. 55, NOTRE DAME 49: Kelly Mazzante hit a floating jumper with 46 seconds left and made a key steal down the stretch to lift the top-seeded Nittany Lions in Hartford, Conn. Penn State (28-5) and Mazzante struggled offensively most of the game but made the big plays when needed. Jessica Brungo led the Lions with 20 points, and Mazzante finished with 17 in a game in which neither team led by more than six. Penn State plays Connecticut for a trip to the Final Four. Jacqueline Batteast led the fifth-seeded Irish (21-11) with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
UCONN 63, UCSB 55: Diana Taurasi scored 21 and the Huskies survived a sloppy game offensively. Second-seeded Connecticut (28-4) advanced to the region final by holding UC Santa Barbara to 32 percent shooting and frustrating the Gauchos' 6-foot-8 center, Lindsay Taylor. UConn, winner of the past two national championships and three of the past four, is one victory from a record fifth straight trip to the Final Four. April McDivitt, who played her first three seasons at Tennessee, led Santa Barbara with 20 points and kept the 11th-seeded Gauchos (27-7) threatening until the final minute.
