By Jessika Harkay | Sports Writer
No. 1-ranked Baylor women’s basketball clinched the outright Big 12 regular season title after defeating No. 20 Iowa State 73-60 on Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa.
The Lady Bears extended its win streak against Big 12 opponents to 38 after defeating ISU for the ninth-straight time and advancing to 24-1 on the season. With dominating scoring games from junior guard Juicy Landrum and senior guard Chloe Jackson, each with 16 points, the Cyclones were unable to keep up with the Lady Bears’ offense.
Landrum finished the game with 16 points, including three 3-pointers while Jackson finished with a team-high 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field.
Iowa State senior guard Bridget Carleton notched a game-high 28 points while converting on 10-for-11 free throws.
Baylor held an early advantage, going on an 8-0 run and holding the Cyclones to two points by the mid-first quarter. It wasn’t until notching two jumpers and a 3-pointer that give Iowa State a spark of life, bringing the score to 15-10.
By the end of the quarter, the Lady Bears were shooting 63 percent on field goals, with sophomore guard Didi Richards and Jackson both 3-for-4 and accounting for half of the Lady Bears’ first-quarter points.
A 14-2 run for over half of the second quarter helped the Lady Bears’ lead grow to 16 points, ending the half 44-28. Jackson improved to 6-for-8 shooting at the break.
The second half of the game opened slow with steals on both sides, and opening points coming from senior center Kalani Brown on free throws. Countering a missed Lady Bear’s jumper, Carleton notched five points and began a consistent scoring battle. Carleton led Iowa State with 11 of the Cyclones’ 14 points in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter began with a 7-0 run by Iowa State, bringing the game within nine points. The Cyclones held the Lady Bears to 10 points in the fourth, but couldn’t capitalize on their short-lived offensive momentum, only scoring eight points after their early-quarter drives, falling to the Lady Bears 73-60.
The Lady Bears take on the Texas Longhorns at 6 p.m. Monday at the Ferrell Center.
