No. 7/7 WBB Clinches Big 12 Title With 85-49 Win Over K-State

Saturday, February 27

Waco, Texas

11 a.m.

Baylor

18-2,13-1Big 12

Kansas State

7-14,2-12Big 12

Kansas St.

Baylor

No. 7/7 WBB Clinches Big 12 Title With 85-49 Win Over K-State

2/27/2021 1:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Scored (PDF)

Lady Bears collect 11th-straight, 12th-overall regular season conference championship

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Dolly Parton once said that if you want the rainbow, "you gotta put up with the rain."
            After putting up with a season full of rain that included COVID interruptions, a once-in-a-lifetime winter storm and the end of a 61-game home winning streak, the seventh-ranked Baylor Lady Bears got their rainbow Saturday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.
            Cruising to an 85-49 blowout of Kansas State, the Lady Bears (19-2, 14-1) wrapped up at least a share of their 11^th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship and honored a senior class that has won 73 of 75 games against conference opponents and captured a combined six league titles (four regular-season and two tournaments).
            "All of us have been through COVID, and we're still going through it," said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, whose team extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive conference titles while beating Kansas State (7-15, 2-13) for the 36^th-straight time. "We went through a once-in-a-generation winter storm, we drove here in fog today and it's supposed to rain tomorrow. And we just keep winning. That's what this program is about."
            To put this amazing run in perspective, Baylor freshmen Sarah Andrews and Hannah Gusters were in the second grade the last time the Lady Bears didn't win a conference title (2010). And they made it to the Final Four that year.
            "It's emotional, particularly this year, with everything that we've been through," Mulkey said. "But, it's enjoyable. It's different not having (fans) on the floor with us, because usually that floor in years past has been just packed. It takes us hours to get away. A lot of them stayed and watched the celebration. It was a good day, but we want to win it outright."
            That almost happened before the Lady Bears were done cutting down the nets, but No. 18 West Virginia (18-4, 12-4) held off Kansas, 72-68, and remained mathematically alive in the conference race. Baylor can win it outright by beating Texas (16-7, 10-6) in Monday's 6 p.m. game in Austin.
            "When you step back and think about what we've done in 21 years here," Mulkey said, "coaches are not blessed to have that many great players come through a program."
            In addition to senior guards DiDi Richards and Moon Ursin, who were also part of the 2019 national championship, grad transfer DiJonai Carrington from Stanford was recognized during a halftime ceremony honoring the seniors.
            Ursin hit her first four shots from the field, helping Baylor jump out to a 28-11 lead in the first 12 minutes, and scored all 15 of her points in the first half. She added a career-high eight assists to go with five rebounds and two steals.
            "To be honest, I really couldn't sleep last night. Excited, nervous, anxious, just all of it," she said. "I've been with DiDi for four years and Coach Mulkey and some of the staff. If you're just coming into the program, it's really hard to feel like these moments are coming so close."
            In addition to Ursin, Baylor's inside duo of Queen Egbo and NaLyssa Smith combined for 35 points and shot 70 percent from the floor (14-of-20). The 6-3 Egbo had one of her best games in a Baylor uniform, scoring 19 points, grabbing four rebounds and adding four assists, two blocks and three steals.
            And for good measure, she shut down 6-6 center Ayoka Lee, who had just eight points and two boards and was plagued with early foul trouble.
            "I told her in practice yesterday, she hardly missed a shot, and I said, 'Queen, I don't know what you did today, but whatever it is, do it again every day,''' Mulkey said. "I know her parents were here, they don't get to see her play very much. And what a good day for her to have such a good day."
            A lot of Ursin's eight assists were dishes to Egbo for layups, rewarding the junior center for running the floor.
            "You've got to reward your bigs." Ursin said. "They're going to stop working for you if you don't. She was just in the right position at the right time. She was doing a great job of defending and getting down the court. I know that's hard being the biggest player out there."
            Ursin gave Baylor a 40-19 halftime lead when she grabbed an offensive rebound and beat the buzzer with a short jumper in the lane.
            "Honestly, there were only a few seconds left, so what's the harm in going in there and getting in the right position?" she said. "It took a pretty high bounce, and I just got up. I actually had time to gather myself and look at the clock, and I just elevated and pulled it when there were two seconds left. I even heard DiDi say, 'Shoot it!' So, I shot it, and it went in."
            Before using the bench for all but a few seconds in the fourth, when the seniors got a curtain call with 1:05 left, the Lady Bears had their highest-scoring quarter against a Big 12 opponent this season with a 31-point third period. Smith scored eight of her 16 points in the third, going 4-of-4 from the field.
            All 11 players scored for Baylor, including Andrews going 3-for-3 from 3-point range and scoring nine points. Rachel Ranke hit three treys and led the Wildcats with nine points.
            After going to Austin for their fourth game in nine days, the Lady Bears will close out the regular season with games on Thursday at Kansas and the home finale against West Virginia the following Monday, March 8.

-BaylorBears.com-