DENVER, Colo. - After a nail bitter, the Fighting Irish earned their invitation to the National Championship Game for the second year in a row.

On Sunday it was a back and forth battle between Notre Dame and Big East rival Connecticut.

With just 11 seconds left in regulation the Irish trailed by two.

Skylar Diggins took a shot, missed, and Natalie Novosel snatched the rebound. Novosel went back up for two and nailed it.

This sent the Irish into overtime 67-67.

Then it was another gut wrenching five minutes of basketball for Fighting Irish fans who stayed on their feet until the end.

Thanks to two key three pointers by Brittany Mallory the Irish pulled ahead and clinched the 83-75 win.

Novosel led the Irish with 20 points, but the others trailed close behind. Diggins added 19, Devereaux Peters had 17 and Mallory added 11.

Notre Dame will face Baylor on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center in the National Championship game at 8:30 Eastern Time.

The Irish fell to Texas A&M in the Championship game last year in Indianapolis.