By Marquis Cooley | Sports Editor
No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball advance to the semifinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament after wiping the floor with Oklahoma State University in the quarterfinals, beating the Cowgirls 76-36 Friday afternoon at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The 40-point margin of victory is second in Big 12 tournament history while OSU’s 36 points is the fewest points allowed in Big 12 tournament history.
Baylor (26-5,15-3 Big 12) proved why they’re the No. 1 seed in the tournament, leading from wire-to-wire as three Bears scored in double figures. Junior guard Ja’Mee Asberry led the way with 16 points against her former squad, shooting 6-of-9 from the floor.
The senior frontcourt duo of forward NaLyssa Smith and center Queen Egbo held down the paint once again as they both notched double-doubles. Smith finished with 15 points and 10 boards for her 50th double-double of her career while Egbo finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Baylor completely shutdown OSU’s (9-20,3-15 Big 12) offense, holding them scoreless in the first quarter as they took a 23-0 lead. It was the first time in program history, Baylor held a Big 12 opponent to zero points in the first quarter. The previous low was two points by Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on Jan. 17, 2018. It also set a Big 12 tournament record as well as tied an NCAA record.
While OSU was able to break the seal at the 9:38 mark of the second quarter after going 0-for-13 from the floor, it didn’t make a difference as the Bears extended the lead to 27 as they took a 41-14 halftime lead. Asberry led all scorers with 10 points at the break.
The Bears continued to roll in the third as the they ballooned the lead to 45 points by the end of the quarter and refused to let up until the final whistle.
Baylor advances to the semifinal round where they will seek vengeance against No. 21 University of Oklahoma (24-7, 12-6 Big 12) who swept the season series with the Bears. Tip-off is set for noon on Saturday and can be viewed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
