NCAAW: Texas beats Baylor to win Huge 12 Championship

Texas got here out victorious in Sunday afternoon’s Huge 12 Championship, successful 67-58 and beating Baylor (27-6, 15-3 within the Huge 12) for the primary time since 2017. The Longhorns have been led by Rori Harmon’s 20 factors and a shock efficiency by freshman Aaliyah Moore, who scored a career-high 12 factors off the bench.

Regardless of the double-digit victory, the sport was tight to begin. With so many back-to-back video games and an intense familiarity between these rival groups, the primary quarter was a mixture of physicality and poor capturing. It wasn’t till the second quarter that Texas (26-6, 13-5 Huge 12) began pulling away.

The Girl Bears continued struggling offensively, capturing 40 p.c from the sphere and failing to get the ball into the publish to NaLyssa Smith. Smith took issues into her personal arms halfway via the second, grabbing a rebound and going coast to coast. Sadly, the possession led to a cost and a minor harm to Smith, who missed the remainder of the primary half earlier than returning within the second. The Longhorns took benefit of her absence and led by eleven on the half, by no means wanting again.

Baylor has a championship pedigree and didn’t again down regardless of the deficit. Smith returned and gave a championship efficiency, scoring 21 and grabbing ten rebounds, main the workforce in each classes. The Girl Bears received the sport as shut as seven factors within the fourth quarter.

Texas deserves all of the credit score for holding on and successful the Huge 12 Event. The Longhorns responded to each fourth-quarter run Baylor tried. After they wanted an enormous shot, they received one; when a defensive board would cease a possession, they grabbed it, and late within the sport, they didn’t have any unforced turnovers and hit their free throws.

The victory was superb for the Longhorns. They met on the half-court with Texas-colored confetti, tears of their eyes, and speak of Texas battle throughout their postgame interviews. The celebration will probably be short-lived, with right now being Choice Sunday and the NCAA event beginning later this week.

For Baylor, this was a disappointing loss however not at all the top of the highway. The Girl Bears might very effectively nonetheless be a No. 1 seed within the NCAA event and may have simply good an opportunity as anyone to win the NCAA title this April.