AMES, Iowa — Brittney Griner scored 22 points, blocked six shots and dunked for the 11th time in her career in leading top-ranked Baylor past No. 24 Iowa State 66-51 on Wednesday night.
Baylor (17-1, 7-0 Big 12) took control early, running off 17 straight points in the first half while holding Iowa State scoreless for 11 1/2 minutes. The Cyclones (13-4, 4-3) had taken a quick 6-4 lead on a pair of 3-pointers, but didn’t score again until Baylor was up 21-6.
Griner triggered the big run when she picked off a pass intended for Anna Prins, drove unimpeded to the other end and threw down a two-handed dunk. It was just one more slam for the most prolific dunker in women’s college basketball history.
Odyssey Sims added 12 points and Alexis Prince 11 for Baylor, which won its 29th straight regular season conference game.
The Lady Bears got it done typical fashion. They played harassing defense that created turnovers or forced the Cyclones into awkward shots and Griner dominated in the middle, hitting a variety of turnaround jumpers and intimidating shooters who ventured into the lane.
The 6-foot-8 Griner had four blocks in the game’s first 7:11 and ran her career total to 657. And those blocks didn’t all come near the basket. Late in the game, Griner ventured out to the perimeter to swat away Nikki Moody’s 3-point shot.
Griner, who sat the final 6:50 after picking up her fourth foul, needs just seven more blocks to break the NCAA record of 663 by Louella Tomlinson of Saint Mary’s.
Baylor held Iowa State to 36 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers, including three early shot clock violations that set the tone for the Lady Bears on the defensive end.
Iowa State did hold Baylor to a season-low point total by slowing the pace to shorten the game. But with the Cyclones struggling to score, it didn’t matter in the end.
The Lady Bears’ previous low for the season came in a 67-39 victory over Iowa State in Waco on Jan. 9.
Kansas State 76, No. 12 Oklahoma State 70, OT: MANHATTAN, Kan. — Brittany Chambers scored 26 points, and Kansas State rode its 3-point shooting to a 76-70 overtime upset of No. 12 Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.
Chambers made six of Kansas State’s 16 3-pointers. Haley Texada added 14 points and Mariah White had 11 for the Wildcats (12-7, 3-4 Big 12), who made just seven shots from inside the arc and shot 35 percent overall.
Toni Young scored 22 points and Brittney Martin chipped in 15 for the Cowgirls (14-3, 3-3), who forced overtime on Tiffany Bias’ jumper with 8 seconds left in regulation, but OSU never led in the extra session and saw its three-game winning streak snapped.
OSU shot a respectable 46 percent from the floor, but the Cowgirls committed an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers to the Wildcats’ nine.
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