Indianapolis ? Michigan State’s climb to national prominence took the Spartans all the way over Rocky Top.

Down by 16 points in the second half, Michigan State rallied — tying the largest comeback in Final Four history — then finished off Tennessee with a pair of fast-break baskets to complete the 68-64 upset Sunday night. The victory sets up Tuesday’s title game with Baylor, another unlikely championship contender.

“This team has the heart of a lion,” Michigan State coach Joanne P. McCallie said, her players bouncing and hugging with wide-eyed looks of disbelief on their faces.

Trailing 45-29 with 16:02 left, Michigan State wouldn’t quit and finally caught the Lady Vols at 62-all on two free throws by Victoria Lucas-Perry with 1:20 left. Moments later, Michigan State point guard Kristin Haynie made a steal and layup to put the Big Ten champions ahead.

Tennessee’s Loree Moore then tied it with a runner in the lane, but Spartans senior center Kelli Roehrig scored underneath to make it 66-64 with 35 seconds to play.

The Lady Vols (30-5) then missed a three-pointer and two inside shots before the ball dropped in the hands of Roehrig, who fed Lucas-Perry for a layup with 2.7 seconds left to complete the remarkable comeback.

The Spartans’ last two baskets were their only fast-break points of the night.

Michigan State’s rally tied the largest in Final Four history. In 2001, Notre Dame came back from 16 down to beat Connecticut. But the Spartans didn’t pull off the night’s only jaw-dropping return to life: Baylor had to overcome a 15-point deficit in the game before to take out overall No. 1 seed LSU.

Baylor, whose tale of redemption is the feel-good story in this tournament, advanced to its first national championship game with a 68-57 victory.

Michigan State's Liz Shimek (52) and Lindsay Bowen celebrate after beating Tennessee, 68-64, in a national semifinal game at the NCAA Women's Final Four. MSU won Sunday in Indianapolis and will face Baylor on Tuesday for the national championship.

The Spartans (33-3) danced and hugged in a circle as the final horn sounded on their game. McCallie said it wouldn’t take long for her to get started preparing for the Lady Bears.

“By midnight,” she said. “Baylor’s a fantastic team, and they had a terrific game also, and we’re very excited, and midnight, we got ’til about midnight.”

Just four years ago, Michigan State wasn’t even among the best teams in its conference. In 2000, McCallie’s first year, the Spartans won only 10 games.

But McCallie, the AP’s coach of the year this season who turned tiny Maine into a national power, recruited Haynie and Roehrig and got the rest of the Spartans to believe.

Now they’re one victory away from a national title, something the school’s men’s team couldn’t do this weekend in St. Louis.

Lindsay Bowen had 18 points and Lucas-Perry and Liz Shimek 14 apiece for the Spartans, who have won 17 straight.

Tennessee, meanwhile, had another solid season end in disbelief and a victory shy of a seventh national title. Despite making their fourth straight Final Four appearance and 16th overall under coach Pat Summitt, the Vols haven’t won a national title since 1998.

“It will be a long time before I get this one out of my system,” Summit said. “I’m sure the players feel the same way.”

The devastating loss for Tennessee puts a disappointing finish to a season in which Summitt became the winningest coach in college basketball history. But win No. 883 will have to wait until next season.

Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle had 16 points, and Indiana native Shanna Zolman added 13 for the Lady Vols.