| |
|
|
|
| |
| Quick Stats |
Geo. Tech |
Baylor |
| Points |
68 |
83 |
| FG Made - Attempted |
26-70 |
30-56 |
| FG Percentage |
.371 |
.536 |
| 3PT Made - Attempted |
10-19 |
1-6 |
| 3PT Percentage |
.526 |
.167 |
| FT Made - Attempted |
6-9 |
22-30 |
| FT Percentage |
.667 |
.733 |
| Rebounds |
44 |
33 |
| Turnovers |
20 |
11 |
|
| |
| Statistical Leaders |
| Georgia Tech |
Pts |
Rbs |
Asst |
St |
Blk |
| Sydney Wallace |
32 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Tyaunna Marshall |
10 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| Baylor |
Pts |
Rbs |
Asst |
St |
Blk |
| Brittney Griner |
35 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
| Destiny Williams |
18 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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By
Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
Another
NCAA Tournament game, a third blowout victory ... and another dunk by Brittney
Griner.
That pretty much sums up Baylor's
Saturday in the Iowa state capitol. The top-seeded Lady Bears advanced to the
Des Moines Regional final with an 83-68 victory over No. 4 seed Georgia Tech.
Baylor (37-0) will face No. 2 seed
Tennessee (27-8) Monday with the winner advancing to the Final Four in Denver.
The Lady Vols eliminated 11th-seeded Kansas with an 84-73 victory
before the Baylor-Georgia Tech game.
Griner, who dunked early in the second
half of Baylor's second-round victory over Florida, got free on a breakaway and
threw down a two-hand slam with 6:29 remaining.
"I wanted to get one in
this game," said Griner, who finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds and six
blocks. "And I wanted to get a dunk with two hands. Brooklyn (Pope) got me
the ball and I just went up and slammed it."
Griner's dunk put Baylor up
77-46 but Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph didn't think Baylor was rubbing it
in.
"It doesn't bother
me," Joseph said. "I think she's great for the game. I think it's
awesome. Nobody wants to get dunked on, but how many people can actually say I
coached in a game where a female basketball player dunked?"
Georgia Tech led
10-6 four minutes into the game before Baylor took control with a 20-0 run.
Griner and Destiny Williams, who finished with 18 points, each had six points
during the spurt.
The Yellow
Jackets, playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time, relies on pressure defense
to force turnovers. But it was Baylor that won that battle, forcing 19 Georgia
Tech mistakes while turning it over just 11 times.
"Brittney got 35 points
because of (her teammates') ability to handle the pressure and score at the end
of the press," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said.
Griner joins
Tennessee's Candace Parker as the only woman to dunk in the NCAA Tournament
Parker had two slams against Army in 2006. Griner now has seven dunks in her
career, two in consecutive games. Ironically, she and her teammates will face
Tennessee Monday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
"There's no doubt that
Brittney Griner is definitely the best player I've ever coached against, I've
ever seen play live," Joseph said. "She's a tremendous talent on both
ends of the floor.
"But I thought their complementary players, Destiny Williams
in particular, had a huge game for them, especially in the first 10 minutes of
the game."