No. 6 Baylor, No. 8 UT win Big 12 openers
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kalani Brown scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting to lead No. 6 Baylor to an 88-58 victory over Kansas State on Thursday night in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Baylor (10-1) led 8-0 2:05 into the game, a run that included a technical foul on Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie.
The Lady Bears hammered the Wildcats (8-3) in the paint, scoring 48 points inside, a number of which came off secondchance opportunities.
Kansas State’s Kayla Goth led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting from the field.
TEXAS 88 OKLAHOMA 78
Lashann Higgs scored a career-high 25 points, and the No. 8 Longhorns defeated the Sooners in the teams’ Big 12 opener, winning at Norman, Okla., for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
Ariel Atkins added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Brooke McCarty had 12 points for Texas (10-1), which had lost its previous seven games at Oklahoma (5-7). The Longhorns never trailed and led by as many as 20 points, slowing an Oklahoma offense that had averaged 85.6 points in five previous home games.
Oklahoma had won its last 12 Big 12 openers and is now 19-3 in such games under coach Sherri Coale. The Sooners’ last loss in their league opener was on Jan. 5, 2005, at Texas Tech.
TEXAS A&M 79, SMU 57
Chennedy Carter scored 28 points, Anriel Howard had 15 points and 16 rebounds, and the No. 22nd-ranked Aggies cruised past the Mustangs in College Station.
Texas A&M (11-3) rebounded from an 84-62 loss to No. 10 Oregon on Dec. 21 and opens Southeastern Conference play at fourth-ranked South Carolina on Sunday.
Carter was 10-of18 from the field, and Howard collected her 21st career double-double. Danni Williams added 14 points, and Khaalia Hillsman had 13.
Kiara Perry scored 11 points to lead SMU (6-7).
WEST VIRGINIA 87, TCU 82
Katrina Pardee and Chania Ray combined on two quick baskets in the fourth quarter to finally put the No. 9 Mountaineers ahead to stay, and West Virginia remained undefeated, opening Big 12 play with a victory over the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth.
Naomi Davenport scored 19 of her careerhigh 32 points in the first half for West Virginia (130). Teana Muldrow had 20 points and 17 rebounds for her seventh doubledouble this season, while Pardee had 17 points and Ray 11.
Amber Ramirez had 21 points for TCU (9-3) .
OKLAHOMA ST. 98 TEXAS TECH 57
Kaylee Jensen had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and the No. 24 Cowgirls won their fourth straight with a rout of the Lady Raiders in the teams’ Big 12 opener at Lubbock.
Loryn Goodwin added 20 points and Braxtin Miller 17 for Oklahoma State (10-2), which has won nine of its last 10 against the Lady Raiders.
Recee’ Caldwell scored 20 points to lead Texas Tech (6-6).
CREIGHTON 69 VILLANOVA 54
Audrey Faber and Jaylyn Agnew each scored 19 points, and the Bluejays upset the No. 18 Wildcats in a Big East Conference opener at Omaha, Neb., to give coach Jim Flanery his 300th program win.
Sydney Lamberty’s 3-point play off a layup put Creighton ahead 39-36 with 5:51 left in the third quarter, and the Bluejays never trailed thereafter.
HOUSTON 77, COLUMBIA 53
Serithia Hawkins scored 19 points, Jasmyne Harris added 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and the Cougars wrapped up non-conference play with a rout of the Lions at H&PE Arena.
Angela Harris and Dorian Branch added 14 and 10 points, respectively for Houston (11-3).
LAMAR 79 HOUSTON BAPTIST 51
Baileigh O’Dell scored 24 points, Chastadie Barrs added 17, and the Cardinals (6-5) routed the Huskies in the teams’ Southland Conference opener at Sharp Gym.
Amanda Johnson and Veronika Kirienko scored 12 points each for Houston Baptist (4-7).
MISSISSIPPI 73 TEXAS SOUTHERN 58
Joyce Kennerson scored a game-high 24 points and added seven assists, but she couldn’t prevent the Tigers (5-6) from being overwhelmed by the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.