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updated 1:04 a.m. ET April 6, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS - Baylor’s motto was “Finish the job.” Emily Niemann couldn’t wait to get started.

Niemann, the unlikeliest hero on an unlikely champion, played like an All-American against Michigan State — hitting big 3-pointers early, playing tight defense in the paint and staking the Lady Bears to a huge lead that Michigan State would never overcome.

“I think she was the whole key to this game,” Michigan State coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “If you take 51 off the floor, it was a different game. She was definitely the X-factor.”

While Baylor’s All-Americans Sophia Young and Steffanie Blackmon did the bulk of the scoring and rebounding, as usual, it was Niemann, a self-described gym rat, who proved the catalyst in leading the Bears to an 84-62 victory for their first national championship.

Young and Blackmon combined for 48 points and 16 rebounds, but Niemann arguably had the bigger role.

The bulky 6-foot-1 forward, who looks more like a post player than a 3-point specialist, finished with 19 points — one short of her career-high — and nearly tied the championship game record of six 3-pointers. She hit all five of her 3s in the first half and got the Bears (33-3) into their regular offense by shredding Michigan State’s vaunted zone defense.

“If you look at the film the kid is three feet off the line,” McCallie said. “We definitely had her scouted ... but she hit a couple of threes that were unbelievable.”

It was just what Baylor needed after throwing the ball away three times in the first three minutes, and coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson didn’t wait long to insert her secret weapon.

“Once Emily starts hitting, that’s pretty much all she wrote,” Bears guard Chelsea Whitaker said. “She’s pretty much automatic.”

Niemann wasted no time. Her first two 3s were Baylor’s first points. After that, Michigan State scrambled defensively and never really found an answer.

While the looks and screens kept coming, Niemann didn’t stop shooting. And when Michigan State extended its zone defense to take away Niemann’s open looks, Young and Blackmon broke free on the inside.

“It felt good tonight,” she said. “It feels good every night, but it felt really good tonight.”

Niemann played a key role in the second half, too.

When the Spartans closed to 47-37, Niemann grabbed a rebound and put it back in — a play that stopped Michigan State’s momentum and helped the Bears regain control. The Spartans never threatened again as Baylor rolled.

Afterward, Niemann just smiled and couldn’t bear to take off her national championship hat. All she wanted, though, was a phone call from her brother, Jeff, who led Rice to the College World Series title in 2003 by going 17-0.

“I’m just going to listen to him,” she said. “I want him to tell me congratulations for once.”

For Niemann, Tuesday night’s title game capped an unforgettable Final Four.

She scored 14 points as the Bears rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat LSU 68-57 in Sunday’s semifinal — the second biggest comeback in Final Four history.

She backed up that surprise performance with another strong effort in the championship. Niemann routinely delivered, hitting 6 of her 10 shots, making both free throws, grabbing three rebounds and limiting Michigan State’s Kelli Roehrig to eight points and five rebounds.

The reward was a selection to the all-tournament team and, of course, a national championship.

“This was the role that I was given and I would do anything to win,” she said. “Tonight I was scoring, and I was loving it.”

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