AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Kristy Wallace scored 23 points and had seven assists as No. 3 Baylor won its eighth consecutive Big 12 championship Monday night with a 93-87 win over No. 6 Texas.
Wallace scored 14 in the third quarter and rescued the Lady Bears after Texas had started the second half with a charge and briefly held the lead. Wallace scored eight in a 14-5 run that allowed Baylor to take control of the game again and the Lady Bears kept Texas at a safe distance the rest of the way.
Wallace scored 27 the first time these teams met this season. Baylor (26-1, 16-0) has now won 18 of the last 19 matchup with Texas. With two games left, Baylor is gunning for a third undefeated conference season in school history
Texas came in two games behind Baylor and needed a win to keep its own conference title hopes alive. Brooke McCarty led the Longhorns (22-5, 13-3) with 32 points, with 16 in the fourth quarter in a furious comeback bid.
Dekeiya Cohen had 24 points and eight rebounds for Baylor.
BIG PICTURE
Baylor: The Lady Bears overcome foul trouble to star forward Kalani Brown and a big push from Texas in the third. Brown was dominating the boards and the defensive space in the lane but picked her second and third fouls in the first minute of the third quarter. Texas led 51-50 when Ariel Atkins stabbed away a pass and coasted in for a layup. Wallace took over from there, picking her shots on jumpers and layups.
Texas: The Longhorns couldn't seize on their momentum and defensive lapses against Wallace and Cohen let the game get away with free looks at the basket. Forwards Joyner Holmes and Jatarie White combined for 18 points and 10 rebounds but even with Brown's long absence, the Longhorns were outrebounded 42-27.
UP NEXT
Baylor plays at TCU on Saturday.
Texas plays at Iowa State on Saturday
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