GREENSBORO, NC — Baylor's Lady Bears are going back to the Elite 8 after dominating South Carolina 93 to 68 in their Greensboro regional game.
Coach Kim Mulkey's team was dialed in from the beginning racing ahead to a 24-11 lead in the first quarter.
The Lady Bears passing was fast and efficient. Post players Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox finished the first frame with two assists a piece -- both to Didi Richards cutting to the basket for easy lay ups.
But even more impressive for Cox was her defense. The Flower Mound native registered four blocks in the opening quarter keeping South Carolina from the rim.
The second quarter was all about Richards. In her 17 minutes of play, Richards notched 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block.
Richards was a symptom of the overwhelming power Baylor's offense showed shooting 52 percent for the half as they raced ahead to a 49 to 23 lead.
After the break, South Carolina found its rhythm. The Gamecocks outscored Baylor in the third quarter, but still went into the final frame down 20.
Baylor continued to control the pace and cruised to the victory. Now, the Lady Bears advance to play the second seeded Iowa.
Tip-off for that game scheduled for Monday night at 6.
