Record crowd as Griner, Baylor rout WVU 80-49
Notre Dame outclasses Providence
MORGANTOWN, W.Va, March 3, (AP): Her fifth career triple-double did little to coax some excitement out of Brittney Griner. Not when there’s still a month left in top-ranked Baylor’s pursuit of a second straight national championship.
The largest crowd ever for a women’s game at West Virginia saw Griner finish with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, and the Lady Bears built a big early lead in defeating the Mountaineers 80-49.
Individual accomplishments mean little to the most dominant player in women’s college basketball.
“Nah, I’ll do that after I’m done with my college career,” Griner said.
It was Griner’s first triple-double since November 2010. It tied her with Kansas State’s Shalee Lehning (2006-09) for the most in conference history.
“She brings it like that every day, guys,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. “That’s what makes her special. When I go to practice, I just know if I see Brittney, it makes our practice because she’s just that kind of kid. She’s not a prima donna, she just works.”
In the earlier meeting this season in Waco, Texas, Griner finished one blocked shot shy of a triple-double.
She got it this time with more than 5 minutes left in the game.
“My teammates found me, and got me the ball,” Griner said. “And then I was just aggressive getting rebounds and getting blocks.”
On Monday night, Baylor will try to become the first Big 12 school to finish undefeated in women’s conference play twice, having done it last season. The Lady Bears will take a 26-game winning streak into their regular-season finale at home against Kansas State. The Big 12 tournament is next weekend.
Shortly before tipoff, just as he does every home game, West Virginia’s buck- skin-wearing mascot fired his musket at midcourt, startling everyone on Baylor’s bench.
During the game, it was West Virginia that looked frazzled.
Baylor (28-1, 17-0 Big 12) never trailed. The Lady Bears scored the first 14 points of the game and built a 38-22 halftime lead.
Notre Dame 92, Providence 57 In Providence, Notre Dame enters the biggest game of the regular season with its two best players playing their best basketball.
Skylar Diggins scored 28 points and Kayla McBride added 24 as the second- ranked Irish clinched a share of their second straight Big East regular-season title with a 92-57 rout of Providence on Saturday. Natalie Achonwa chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds for the Irish (27-1, 15-0 Big East) who extended their winning streak to 22 games.
“How could we be anything but happy right now,” said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw. “This team has overachieved all season and I’m just thrilled with where we are right now.”
Notre Dame will look to win the regularseason outright Monday at home in a showdown with No. 3 Connecticut. The Huskies can gain a piece of the title with a win.
“We don’t want to share it,” said McBride, who has combined with Diggins to score 101 points in their wins this week over Syracuse and Providence.
Connecticut 85, S. Florida 51 In Tampa, Fla, No. 3 Connecticut can finally focus on a Big East rematch against No. 2 Notre Dame.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored a career-high 32 points and Stefanie Dolson added 25 as the Huskies tuned up for a highly anticipated regular seasonending showdown with an 85-51 rout of South Florida that sends coach Geno Auriemma and his players to South Bend, Ind., eager for their next challenge.