By Jerry Hill
BaylorBears.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The way Oklahoma State coach Jaci Hoyt saw it, the one chance her 21^st-ranked Cowgirls had of stopping or even slowing down 6-3 Baylor center Aaronette Vonleh was keeping 6-6 Ténin Magassa in the game.
 
No such luck.
 
With Magassa picking up two fouls in the first half and playing just 17 minutes total before fouling out with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter, Vonleh scored a career-high 37 points to help the 17^th-ranked Bears (27-6) pull out an 84-74 overtime win in Saturday night's semifinals at the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center.
 
"Obviously, Aaronette Vonleh was out of her mind," Hoyt said of Vonleh, who hit 14 of her last 21 shots after starting out 0-for-4. "We didn't have an answer for her. The answer on her was on the bench. The answer was Ténin Magassa, who got to play 17 minutes today."
 
A Colorado transfer whose previous career high was 25, Vonleh already had 19 points at halftime, just two off her previous Baylor high. Her dominance helped Baylor overcome an early 7-0 deficit to go into halftime up 32-29.
 
"I didn't know it was a career high until the end of the game," Vonleh said. "I was just trying to be useful for my teammates, and they were finding me when I was open. So, it was just making layups, really."
 
The win, Baylor's 11^th in the last 12 games, avenged an 84-61 loss to the Cowgirls (25-6) in a New Year's Day game at Foster Pavilion and sends the Bears to Sunday's 4 p.m. championship game against eighth-ranked and top-seeded TCU (30-3).
 
"This is exactly where I wanted to be finishing out my last year," Vonleh said, "and I'm glad we're playing for a championship. I know we have what it takes on our team to be successful and win a ring. It's exciting, and I'm glad I was able to pick it up at the right time."
 
In that earlier loss to OSU, the script was flipped. While Magassa had a game-high 16 points, Vonleh fouled out with just five points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.
 
"Thirty-seven, I really don't expect that every night, I promise," said Baylor coach Nicki Collen, who has the Bears in their second tournament final in four years and 16^th overall, looking for their 12^th Big 12 Championship title.
 
"Because of who Ténin Magassa is and how good she has been defensively, they have not had to double-team all year. The crazy part was she missed her first four shots, but she was playing to the rim aggressively and making good moves. Once it started to go in, (Magassa) picked up a couple fouls, and Nettie continued to want the ball."
 
And, of course, her teammates were more than happy to oblige. Fifth-year senior guard had her first double-double of the season and third of her career with 11 points and 11 assists, most of them going to Vonleh.
 
"I'm not surprised, that's what we brought her here to do," Andrews said. "Nettie was killing down low. I just kept saying, 'Get Nettie the ball.' I don't care if they had five people on her. . . . She's just getting better each and every game. And it's perfect for us going into March and going into the NCAA Tournament."
 
Baylor, which led for most of the second half, had the last shot in regulation with the game tied at 66-66. But Andrews missed a rushed 3-pointer that would have won it.
 
Vonleh hit two quick buckets in the first minute of the OT period, giving the Bears a 70-66 lead. But Stailee Heard, who scored 15 of her team-high 25 points in the first half, converted a three-point play that put the Cowgirls on top, 71-70, with 3:18 left.
 
That was when Baylor's outside bombers took over, with Andrews, Jada Walker and Waiata "Wise" Jennings draining 3-pointers in a stretch of 1 ½ minutes that put the Bears comfortably ahead, 79-72.
 
Jennings, a junior college transfer who had played limited minutes until All-Big 12 forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs suffered a knee injury on Feb. 15, hit two big 3-pointers and added four rebounds, two steals and an assist in 24 minutes off the bench.
 
"There is a fearlessness in how she plays," Collen said of Jennings, "and I know she is never afraid to play in big moments. . . . She missed one 3 on a possession, we got the offensive rebound, threw it back out to her, and she shot it again. it wasn't like she was afraid to take a big shot. She's a fearless kid, and I'm probably the one who holds her back."
 
Icing it from the line, where BU shot 82% (18-of-22) for the game, Walker hit four free throws and Yaya Felder one in the final minute.
 
"I'm really proud of our team, the way that we can fight," said Walker, who chipped in with 12 points and five assists. "And even though we went into overtime, still battled with two people fouling out (Bella Fontleroy and Aliyah Matharu), still being able to come in with subs and get the job done."
 
Heard had a double-double for the Cowgirls with 25 points and 12 boards, while Anna Gret Asi and Micah Gray had 14 and 12 points, respectively.
 
Sunday's 4 p.m. championship game will be broadcast by ESPN. While Baylor is seeking its 12^th Big 12 Championship title, regular-season champion TCU is playing in its first final.
 
"This is the start of the revenge tour," Andrews said. "It was (OSU) one, us zero. At the beginning, before that game, we came out with a point to prove. Now, it's TCU up, and it's another revenge tour for us."
 
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