Filed at 11:06 p.m. ET
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- LSU coach Van Chancellor can thank Sylvia Fowles for his first trip to a Final Four. Fowles had 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, lifting LSU to a 56-50 victory over top-seeded North Carolina on Monday night. The victory sent the second-seeded Lady Tigers (31-5) to their fifth Final Four in as many seasons. Only Connecticut also has made five straight trips to the Final Four and no team has made six.
''We knew it was our last year and we wanted to go all out,'' said Fowles, named the most outstanding player of the New Orleans regional.
For North Carolina (33-3), forced to play before a hostile crowd wearing purple and gold, the loss snapped a 16-game winning streak and left the Tar Heels one victory short of a third straight Final Four appearance.
LaToya Pringle led the Tar Heels with 21 points, all but two coming in the second half, but it was not enough as the rest of her team combined for 10 points after the break.
''The only player that really played like they usually do is LaToya,'' North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said. ''It was tough coming down here playing in this environment.
''It was a very ugly game, I mean, who wants to watch a game 56-50,'' Hatchell continued. ''It was very different than how we normally play. ... LSU probably had a lot to do with that.''
North Carolina came in with five players averaging double figures in scoring, but Pringle was the only one to eclipse 10. Rashanda McCants scored nine and Jessica Breland eight.
''Defense has been our bread and butter all year,'' Fowles said. ''We knew if we came out here and played defense our offense would pick up. We've played great defense the last few years.''
After the buzzer sounded, LSU's band broke into a brass favorite often heard during Mardi Gras and second line parades in New Orleans, and LSU's players danced together at center court. Then they cut down the nets, and Chancellor pointed at his players and smiled widely before making his cut.
''I tried to say it didn't matter I've never been to a Final Four, but it feels great,'' said Chancellor, who said he shed a few tears after the victory. ''This is just unbelievable.''
Chancellor, already a Hall of Fame coach, spent 19 years at Mississippi, reaching four regional finals. He then moved on to the WNBA, where he won four titles with the Houston Comets. He also won a FIBA world championship in 2002 and Olympic gold in 2004 before a brief retirement.
That ended when LSU, a team with eight seniors -- including all five starters -- needed a coach because of the resignation last year of Pokey Chatman amid reports that she once had an improper relationship with a player no longer with the team.
Chancellor came in and guided LSU to an SEC regular season title, and the Lady Tigers ended up getting a second seed after losing to Tennessee in the championship game of the SEC tournament.
Quianna Chaney scored 13 points for LSU, hitting three 3-pointers. Erica White had eight points, six on free throws inside the last two minutes to help LSU prevent a North Carolina comeback.
Fowles scored twice inside early in the second half as LSU took its largest lead of the game at 30-23.
North Carolina could not get points from anyone but Pringle through the first 11 minutes of the second half, but that was enough to keep them in the game. Pringle scored 11 points during that span, all inside, and one on a putback as she was fouled for a three-point play.
''We just didn't move as fluidly as we usually do,'' Pringle said. ''I don't know what contributed to that but we just weren't clicking on all cylinders today.''
Her fifth basket of the half over Ashley Thomas cut LSU's lead to 34-32. Several minutes later, she hit a turnaround jumper on the baseline to cut LSU's lead to 36-35.
Chaney responded with a 3-pointer, and after Pringle made a pair of free throws, Fowles scored inside as she was fouled. But Fowles missed the free throw, leaving her 0-for-5 from the foul line to that point, then committed her fourth foul with 5:32 left.
Thomas had committed her fourth foul a few minutes earlier, leaving two starters in foul trouble for the final five minutes. But RaShonta LeBlanc's clutch 3-pointer and pair of free throws helped LSU pulled away, and when Fowles finally fouled out with 16 seconds to go, it only meant that she could make a grand exit to a raucous ovation.
Tough defense defined much of the game, as both teams shot below 40 percent and combined for 30 turnovers.
North Carolina had trouble containing Fowles, however, and ended up fouling her hard in an effort to keep her from receiving passes inside. Fowles still had 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in the first half, and Chaney hit a pair of 3s to help LSU hold a slim lead through most of the first 20 minutes.
Erlana Larkins scored a pair of tough baskets going one-on-one with Fowles inside, converting one into a three-point play.
Breland also scored over Fowles once and had the final basket of the half on a backdoor cut, cutting LSU's lead to 24-21 at halftime.