By Blake Vines | Reporter
Baylor soccer hit the road for its regular-season finale at Oklahoma State and came away with a shutout 2-0 victory to clinch the No. 5 seed in the Big 12 tournament.
Baylor (12–3–3, 7-3-1 Big 12) fought hard against Oklahoma State (4-13-2, 0-10-1 Big 12) to secure the spot.
The Bears, ranked No. 11 in RPI, started the match with high intensity, maintaining control of the ball for majority of the first 40 minutes while Oklahoma State struggled to make meaningful plays.
Senior midfielder Tyler Isgrig put Baylor on the board with a soaring free kick from the sideline at midfield in the 28th minute. Her ninth goal of the season gave the Bears some momentum for the remainder of the half.
Flowing off the strong momentum, junior forward Theresa McCullough scored Baylor’s second goal of the first half on an assist by sophomore forward Alysiah Lockette. Lockette sent a sweeping cross from the outer penalty area to the middle of the field, where McCullough scored around the Oklahoma State goalkeeper in the 34th minute.
The Bears dominated the first half offensively, recording 10 shots and four corner kicks while keeping the pace quick and in their favor. Defensively, senior goalkeeper Azul Alvarez had three tough diving saves in the first half to lead Baylor’s defensive efforts and hold Oklahoma State scoreless.
Alvarez held Oklahoma State in the second half with five more saves and kept the defensive intensity high, allowing zero goals in 10 shots in the second half.
While the Bears’ defense stepped into the spotlight, their offense took a backseat, taking five shots and only one corner while focusing on supporting the defense and running time off the clock.
Baylor soccer will compete in the first round of the Big 12 tournament on Monday, Nov. 3. Baylor is expected to be a No. 5 seed.
