Baylor overcomes a close first half to get decisive victory over Oklahoma State

WACO, Texas – A young Oklahoma State team gave No. 1 Baylor a run for their money in the first half Wednesday night but in the end the Lady Bears prevailed with a 71-44 victory in front of 8,707 fans in Waco.In the first half, the tenacious Cowgirls kept the score close and ended the half just two points behind Baylor, 26-24.

“They played good defense,” said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey of OSU, “and mixed their defenses up.”

The second half was a different story as the Lady Bears came out hot on a 8-0 run starting with a lay-up from Destiny Williams. By the 13:41 mark, the Lady Bears had a 16-point lead.

Baylor’s Brittney Griner led all scorers with 28 points. She also pulled down 11 rebounds and had eight blocks. Odyssey Sims contributed 21 points and six rebounds. Williams finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

For Oklahoma State, freshman Liz Donohoe was the frontrunner in scoring with 19 points plus eight rebounds. Toni Young added 13 points plus six rebounds.

After the game, both teams gathered at center court as the Baylor chaplain led a prayer in memory of former Oklahoma State head coach Kurt Budke, assistant coach  Miranda Serna and OSU alumni Olin and Paula Branstetter. The four died in a plane crash in November.

The Lady Bears travel down the interstate to nearby Austin for a Sunday matchup against Texas. The Longhorns defeated No. 12 Texas A&M 76-71 tonight.

Oklahoma State faces Oklahoma at home on Saturday.