Baylor tops Michigan in overtime

SAN ANTONIO — Baylor cruised through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, looking very much like the defending champions.

NaLyssa Smith and the Lady Bears had to work on Saturday.

It took a stellar shooting performance by Smith and two big plays by Queen Egbo in the final seconds of overtime to earn a 78-75 win over Michigan in the Sweet 16.

“If it doesn’t show today that we want to win the whole thing, I don’t know what to tell you all. This team just gave it their all today,“said Smith, who scored 24 points on 11-of-11 shooting.

Egbo helped Baylor close it out. She gave Baylor a 76-73 lead with a foul shot with 19 seconds left, and then fired a quick pass to Moon Ursin for a wide-open layup.

Baylor didn’t get to defend its 2019 championship when the coronavirus pandemic wiped out last year’s tournament. Now the No. 2 seed Lady Bears advance to Monday’s River Walk Region final against top-seeded UConn, which beat No. 5 Iowa earlier in the day.

Baylor has won 20 consecutive games, including romps in the first two rounds. But Michigan (16-6), which had never before advanced this far in the tournament, dug out of a 12-point deficit in the second quarter and traded shots late in a determined bid to go even further.

Leigha Brown scored 23 points, helping Michigan push Baylor into the first overtime game in the Sweet 16 since Tennessee’s victory over Gonzaga in 2015. Naz Hillmon had 16 points and seven rebounds.

“Winning whether it was overtime, double overtime, regulation, winning is all that matters“said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, who has won three national championships.

Michigan never led in regulation.