STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — NaLyssa Smith had 19 points and 15 rebounds, and No. 5 Baylor beat Oklahoma State 65-58 in women's basketball on Wednesday night.
Sarah Andrews scored 17 points and Queen Egbo added 13 points for the Bears (22-5, 12-3), who won their seventh straight. Baylor entered the night tied with Iowa State for the Big 12 lead.
Lexy Keys scored 13 points and Lauren Fields added 12 for Oklahoma State (8-16, 3-12). Fields, who was Oklahoma State's scoring leader for the season with 16.5 points per game, was held to 4-for-23 shooting.
Oklahoma State ran out to a 7-0 lead. Baylor missed its first four shots and didn't score for 3 1/2 minutes to start the game. Baylor bounced back and led 12-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Baylor made 8 of 12 shots in the second quarter to lead 34-25 at halftime. Smith, who went 1-for-5 from the field and scored two points in the first quarter, went 4-for-4 from the field and scored 10 points in the second.
Baylor pushed the margin out early in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by former Oklahoma State guard Ja'Mee Asberry put the Bears up 39-25.
Oklahoma State rallied late in the third. A fastbreak layup by Kassidy De Lapp cut Baylor's lead to 44-43 and prompted a Bears timeout.
Baylor responded by closing the quarter on a 7-0 run that included two 3-pointers by Andrews to take a 51-43 edge into the fourth. Oklahoma State got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
BIG PICTURE
Baylor: The Bears just got by. A loss would have been disastrous in their quest for a No. 1 seed, but they scrapped their way to a victory in the end. They did it by holding Oklahoma State to 30.7% shooting overal.
Oklahoma State: The Cowgirls have come up just short in several close games this season. This might have been their best effort of the season, especially considering how Fields shot.
UP NEXT
Baylor: Hosts Kansas on Saturday. The Jayhawks were 26th in votes for this week's AP Top 25.
Oklahoma State: Visits West Virginia on Sunday.
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