Mar 8, 2025
AP FILE PHOTO – Iowa State guard Emily Ryan shoots over Baylor defender Jada Walker in the first half of a Big 12 Conference basketball game Feb. 22 in Waco, Texas.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jada Walker scored 18 points to help 17th-ranked Baylor beat No. 7 seed Iowa State 69-63 on Friday night to advance to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
It was Baylor’s first Big 12 quarterfinal victory in three seasons after Iowa State knocked them out the past two times.
Baylor scored the opening 10 points of the game and extended the run to 16-2 after four minutes.
Baylor led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter as Iowa State went without a field goal for five-plus minutes. But the Cyclones closed the half on a 9-0 run to get within 38-33. Iowa State also ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run to shrink a 14-point deficit.
Walker made a wide open 3-pointer from the corner with 4:20 remaining in the fourth to give Baylor a 63-61 lead. It snapped a string of 13 straight misses from 3-point range. Yaya Felder added a floater on the baseline and Walker sank a jumper from the free-throw line to make it 67-61 with 2:10 left.
Iowa State went scoreless for three minutes before Audi Crooks pulled her team within 67-63 with 1:23 left. Walker sealed it at the line.
Aaronette Vonleh, Bella Fontleroy and reserve Aliyah Matharu each scored 12 points for Baylor (26-6), which also beat Iowa State 67-52 on Feb. 22.
Crooks led Iowa State (22-11) with 32 points on 14-of-18 shooting.
Arianna Jackson rattled in a 3-pointer with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter to give Iowa State its first lead of the game at 59-58.
Emily Ryan had five assists to bring her total to 78 throughout her tournament career, a Big 12 record. Addy Brown was held to six points one day after scoring 41 in the Cyclones’ second-round win over Arizona State.
Big 12 Championship
At T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Mo.
First Round
Wednesday, March 5
UCF 81, BYU 69
Colorado 66, Houston 58
Arizona St. 82, Cincinnati 75
Texas Tech 57, Kansas 53
Second Round
Thursday, March 6
Kansas St. 80, UCF 65
Colorado 61, Arizona 58
Iowa St. 96, Arizona St. 88
Texas Tech 75, Utah 64
Quarterfinals
Friday, March 7
West Virginia 73, Kansas St. 69
TCU 69, Colorado 62
Baylor 69, Iowa St. 63
Oklahoma St. 62, Texas Tech 59
Semifinals
Saturday, March 8
No. 1 TCU (29-3) vs. No. 4 West Virginia (24-6), 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
No. 2 Baylor (26-6) vs. No. 3 Oklahoma St. (25-5), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Championship
Sunday, March 9
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 17 Baylor 69, Iowa St. 63
IOWA ST. (22-11) — Brown 2-11 2-2 6, Crooks 14-18 4-6 32, Jackson 1-4 0-2 3, Joens 0-3 2-2 2, Ryan 2-5 5-5 9, Harris 3-5 2-2 9, Williams 1-1 0-0 2, Hansford 0-1 0-0 0, Tanke 0-0 0-0 0, Wilson 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 23-49 15-19 63.
BAYLOR (26-6) — Fontleroy 3-9 5-8 12, Vonleh 5-11 2-2 12, Andrews 3-6 0-4 9, Felder 2-6 0-0 4, Walker 7-17 3-4 18, Abraham 1-1 0-0 2, Nelms 0-3 0-0 0, Jennings 0-0 0-0 0, Matharu 3-8 5-6 12. TOTALS 24-61 15-24 69.
Iowa St. 17 16 19 11 — 63
Baylor 22 16 17 14 — 69
3-Point Goals–Iowa St. 2-10 (Brown 0-2, Jackson 1-2, Joens 0-1, Ryan 0-2, Harris 1-2, Wilson 0-1), Baylor 6-23 (Fontleroy 1-6, Andrews 3-6, Felder 0-1, Walker 1-4, Nelms 0-2, Matharu 1-4). Assists–Iowa St. 17 (Brown 7), Baylor 13 (Walker 4). Fouled Out–Brown, Ryan, Vonleh. Rebounds–Iowa St. 33 (Crooks 6), Baylor 31 (Fontleroy 6). Total Fouls–Iowa St. 20, Baylor 22.
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