Griner Scores 22, No. 2 Baylor Beats Minnesota
WACO, Texas (AP) -- Brittney Griner scored 22 points, her sixth consecutive 20-point game, and second-ranked Baylor rolled to a 103-56 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.
Griner, the 6-foot-8 preseason All-American, also had six rebounds, four assists and three blocks with no turnovers for the Lady Bears (9-1).
Baylor and Minnesota (5-4) met for the first time since playing in the NCAA round of 16 in 2005. The Lady Bears won that game on way to their national championship.
Kimetria Hayden added 17 points for Baylor while freshman Odyssey Sims had 13 in her first career start and Ashley Field scored 12. Leah Cotton led Minnesota with 20 points, while China Antoine had 14 and Kiara Buford 12.
Baylor is 9-0 at home, including the last six games since its one-point loss at top-ranked UConn. The Lady Bears have won 42 in a row at home against non-conference teams since 2006.
The Lady Bears now have an extended break between games because of exams. They play next Dec. 14 against ninth-ranked Tennessee, the last of seven straight home games.
Hayden had two 3-pointers and a layup as Baylor took a 14-7 lead to open the game. The Lady Bears then went on an 11-0 run during which Griner had six points and an assist on Brooklyn Pope's 3-pointer.
Baylor led 53-23 at halftime.
Minnesota went nearly 7 1/2 minutes without a field goal after Antoine hit a 3-pointer with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first half, when it was 41-23. The Golden Gophers then managed only two free throws until Cotton's jumper made it 62-27 with 15:07 left in the game.
The Gophers were outscored 34-12 in the paint. Minnesota scored inside only twice in the first half, once on a short jumper by Buford when Griner was taking a breather on the bench.
Baylor had only five turnovers while converting 19 miscues by Minnesota into 35 points.
Griner almost had her first dunk of the season when she went up with 9 1/2 minutes left in the game. But the ball came out of her hand and bounced into the net, making it 81-35. She had four dunks last season as a freshman.
(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
