OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The No. 1 Baylor Lady Bears have clinche their 10th Big 12 tournament title after beating Iowa State 67-49 Monday night.
The Lady Bears started the game fast-paced and quickly had a decent lead.
But, the Cyclones packed the paint and forced the Lady Bears to rely on outside shots.
As the first quarter started to wind down, Baylor struggled to score and Iowa State took advantage of it.
The final first quarter possession by the Lady Bears was a shot clock violation due to some serious miscommunication. Head Coach Kim Mulkey was not pleased, to say the least, and Chloe Jackson, who is usually composed, did not hide her frustration.
Iowa State finished the quarter on a 7-0 run, cutting the Lady Bears' lead to five.
NaLyssa Smith entered the game in the second quarter and instantly made an impact. The freshman came up with huge buckets as Iowa State started to erase Baylor's lead.
The second quarter was dry. Both teams struggled to score until the final few minutes.
Baylor shot 50 percent in the first quarter, but dropped to 35 percent in the second. Iowa State shot 35 percent and 33 percent, respectively.
Kalani Brown and Chloe Jackson hit a couple of jumpers to push the Lady Bears to 30. But, more miscommunication by Baylor resulted in a late and-on situation for Iowa State.
Lauren Cox launched a three and the buzzer, but it bounced out. Baylor went into the locker room up 30-25.
The third quarter was a lot of back and forth. But, Iowa State finished the third quarter shooting 61 percent compared to the Lady Bears' 46 percent.
Alexa Middleton proved to be the biggest threat to the Lady Bears as they entered the fourth quarter with only a four point lead, 48-44, thanks to a last second jumper by Kalani Brown.
At the start of the fourth, Baylor went back to doing what they do best: working the ball down low. Brown and Cox got position and made much needed buckets for the Lady Bears.
Bridget Carleton played a sagging defense in order to "double team" Brown. But, Brown still managed to get the ball and make shots.
Baylor started to pull away in the fourth leading 59-46 with 5:07 left to play. Head Coach Kim Mulkey was FIRED UP!
Headline for the fourth quarter: hustle plays. Moon Ursin, Lauren Cox and Didi Richards all over the place, getting stops and big rebounds to reset the shot clock.
Baylor's lead only grew in the fourth quarter, and the Lady Bears proved why they're the top team in the Big 12.
