Associated Press
By Jeff Latzke
Associated Press Sports Writer
STILLWATER, Okla. — Brittney Griner had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Kimetria Hayden scored a season-high 20 points and top-ranked Baylor remained perfect this season by beating Oklahoma State 83-51 on Wednesday night.
The Bears (26-0, 13-0 Big 12) easily avoided an upset in an arena that’s been unfriendly at times over the years. Baylor had a losing record in Stillwater coming into the game and had teams ranked in the top 5 lose at Oklahoma State twice in the past four years.
Griner made sure there was no chance for history to repeat itself, making 11 of 17 shots and also blocking six on the other end. Hayden provided only the second 20-point game of her career, with the other coming against the Cowgirls two years ago in her first career start.
Taylor Schippers led Oklahoma State (13-9, 5-8) with 11 points.
Liz Donohoe scored 10 and Tiffany Bias had eight assists while going 1 for 13 from the field. The Cowgirls have lost five of their last six games.
After Oklahoma State claimed an early 8-6 lead, Griner hit back-to-back jumpers in the lane to launch a 17-2 surge that put the Bears ahead to stay. Griner added a third jumper with a turnaround shot in the lane later in the run, Sims followed with a 3-pointer and Hayden’s jumper in the lane made it 23-10 with 11:52 left in the first half.
The Cowgirls were never again within single digits as Baylor pushed its lead to 17 by halftime and led by at least 20 over the final 14 minutes.
Griner had eight points during a 10-0 Baylor run, sinking a jumper as she ran along the left side to make it 55-29 with 14:02 remaining. Her layup in transition pushed it to 72-43 just before she came out one second past the 7-minute mark in the second half.
The rest of the starters filtered out over the next 2 minutes and were replaced by reserves outside the rotation down the stretch.
The blowouts are nothing new for the Bears, who are making an unprecedented rampage through Big 12 play. Each of the Bears’ last eight wins have come by at least 20 points.
To put that in perspective, only 14 teams have ever won eight straight regular-season Big 12 games and none made it more than halfway to the Bears’ current stretch of 20-point blowouts.
Nebraska (2010) and Oklahoma (2006) had only three wins by that margin during their undefeated runs through Big 12 play. Texas A&M had eight last season on its way to the national title, but never more than three in a row. And when the Bears won it all in 2005, they only beat two Big 12 foes by 20.
This team is different, though. It leads the nation in shooting percentage (48.7) and is second on the defensive end (30.2) in that category.
Against the Cowgirls, Baylor shot 55 percent while holding a 46-16 scoring edge in the paint. The Bears attempted only three 3-pointers — fewer than Oklahoma State tried in its first four possessions.
The Cowgirls ended up making 26 percent and went 6 for 27 from 3-point range.
