Cowgirl Rally Falls Short Against No. 1 Baylor

Brittney Griner had 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks as No. 1 Baylor held off a furious late charge by Oklahoma State for a 77-69 victory in the Big 12 tournament semifinals Sunday.

Oklahoma State trailed by 17 with 15 minutes remaining after Baylor guard Odyssey Sims converted a three-point play, but the Cowgirls (21-10) cut it to 72-69 with 1:34 remaining when Tiffany Bias converted a steal into a breakaway layup.

BU's Jordan Madden then hit a 3-pointer before Griner blocked a Cowgirl shot.

Baylor (31-1) has won 48 consecutive Big 12 regular-season and tournament games and will play in its third consecutive tournament final Monday night.

Toni Young led OSU with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Liz Donohoe had a well-rounded effort with 20 points with seven boards and seven assists. Bias scored 19 and chipped in six assists for the Cowgirls.

Sims and Brooklyn Pope each had 12 points for Baylor.

OSU shot just 40.3 percent compared to 54 percent for Baylor, but the Cowgirls tenacious defense kept things interesting by forcing the Bears into 24 turnovers, aiding in the close contest.