Box Score THE RUNDOWN
DALLAS, Texas (AP) - Nina Davis had 16 points with 11 rebounds and No. 5 Baylor clinched its fifth Big 12 tournament championship in a row with a 75-64 win over Texas on Monday night.
While Davis had only one basket after halftime, Alexis Prince scored 10 of her 13 points during that same span. Prince had a couple of big 3-pointers, the first setup by her impressive defensive play.
The Lady Bears (30-3) won their seventh Big 12 tournament title. They clinched the league's automatic NCAA tournament berth though they were already a sure bet to play a first-round game at home.
Texas (22-10) was in its first Big 12 tournament final since 2004, a year after winning it and then going all the way to the NCAA Final Four.
Imani Wright had 14 points for the Lady Bears while Sune Agbuke had 10 points and eight rebounds Niya Johnson had seven points, five rebounds and seven assists.
Imani McGee-Stafford had 15 points for Texas, and Empress Davenport had 13.
Brianna Taylor was driving toward the Texas basket when she went up and Prince stripped the ball cleanly out of her hands. At the other end, Prince got the ball back from Wright and hit a 3 that put the Lady Bears ahead 47-38 with 18:10 left.
Prince hit another 3 from the right wing only a few feet in front of coach Kim Mulkey on the sideline midway through the second half with Texas in the midst of a nearly 6-minute scoring drought. It put the Lady Bears up 64-46.
The Longhorns were actually the preseason Big 12 favorite, but their season took a terrible turn when leading scorer and rebounder Nneka Enemkpali suffered a season-ending knee injury in a 75-58 loss at Baylor on Jan. 19 when they also were a Top 10 team.
They had recovered of late, winning seven of their last eight before losing in the tournament final, and should be in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor, which won its fifth consecutive regular-season title to enter the Big 12 tournament as the top seed again, never trailed after scoring the game's first six points, though the Longhorns responded with six in a row for the only tie.
Wright's 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the first half put Baylor up 35-25 before the Longhorns scored eight in a row over the next 2 minutes to get within 35-33 on Ariel Atkins' jumper. They never got closer.
Almost as quickly as Texas had cut the gap, Davis hit two free throws and after Davenport was whistled for an offensive foul, Alexis Prince hit a 3-pointer for Lady Bears.
All-Tournament Team
Nina Davis, Baylor (MOP)
Niya Johnson, Baylor
Alexis Prince, Baylor
Imani McGee-Stafford, Texas
Roshunda Johnson, Oklahoma State
HIGHLIGHTS
? Baylor claimed its seventh Big 12 Championship crown (2005, '09, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15) overall and fifth straight.
? Nina Davis claimed Most Outstanding Player honors for the second straight season while Niya Johnson and Alexis Prince were named to the all-tournament team.
? Baylor posted its fifth straight 30-win season. Overall, Baylor has recorded 10, 30-win seasons with seven coming since the arrival of head coach Kim Mulkey.
? Nina Davis, 16 points, scored in double figures for the 63rd time in her career and the 32nd time this season.
? Davis had 14 points at the half to mark the 16th time she has scored in double-figures by halftime this season.
? Davis (16 points, 11 rebounds) tallied her 11th double-double of the season and 23rd of her career.
? Imani Wright tallied her 19th double-digit scoring effort of the season and 24th of her career.
? Alexis Prince with 13 points, tallied her 10th double-digit effort of the season and 13th of her career.
? Sune Agbuke scored 10 points, marking the seventh time this season to score in double-digits and 12th time in her career.
STAT OF THE GAME
25-13: Points off turnovers advantage for Baylor over Texas.
TWEET OF THE GAME
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor awaits its NCAA Tournament destination, which will be announced Monday, March 16.
