WOMENS BASKETBALL

Baylor 85, Texas 79

BY JIM VERTUNO
ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN, Texas - Jada Walker scored 19 points and No. 10 Baylor opened Big 12 conference play with an 85-79 win over No. 5 Texas, which played its first game without injured point guard Rori Harmon.

The Bears (12-0, 1-0) also got 18 points and eight rebounds from Dre’Una Edwards. Baylor has won 14 in a row at Texas (13-1, 0-1) in a rivalry that won’t see as many matchups once the Longhorns leave for the Southeastern Conference after this season.

Walker scored eight consecutive points in one stretch of the third quarter.

Texas freshman Madison Booker had 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in taking over the point-guard duties for Harmon, who was lost for the season when she tore a knee ligament in practice this week.

Baylor built a 13-point lead with a burst to start the game, before Texas rallied and closed to 59-55 on Booker’s stretching finger-roll layup at the end of the third quarter.

Amina Muhammad’s two free throws with 47 seconds left got Texas within four. But Muhammad fouled Baylor’s Sarah Andrews, who made two free throws with 20 seconds to play to stretch the Bears’ lead again — leading to “B-U!” chants from Baylor fans.

Booker then missed a long 3-pointer that rattled around the rim.

Muhammad scored 17 points for Texas.

BIG PICTURE

Baylor: The Bears won 12 consecutive regular-season Big 12 championships from 2011-2022 and their hot start has them looking like the top title contender again. A win at Texas, even a depleted one that hung close without Harmon, is a huge step in that direction.

Texas: The Longhorns got their first game without Harmon behind them. Now comes the grind of a long Big 12 season without Harmon’s energy and efficiency on both ends of the court. Harmon had 93 assists against just 14 turnovers and was a lock-down defender despite her 5-foot-6 height. Booker is bigger and stronger at 6-1 but now shoulders the burden of leading the team.

Baylor athletics press release

December 30, 2023