NCAA Elite Eight - Des Moines Region   1 2 FINAL Tennessee 20 38 58 Baylor 35 42 77 Video Highlights  |  Box Score  |  Photos  |  Buy Baylor Basketball Gear    Quick Stats Tennessee Baylor Points 58 77 FG Made - Attempted 23-76 26-62 FG Percentage .303 .419 3PT Made - Attempted 4-21 8-15 3PT Percentage .190 .533 FT Made - Attempted 8-12 17-22 FT Percentage .667 .773 Rebounds 47 47 Turnovers 11 13    Statistical Leaders Tennessee Pts Rbs Asst St Blk  Glory Johnson 19 14 2 4 0  Shekinna Stricklen 22 11 1 1 1 Baylor Pts Rbs Asst St Blk  Brittney Griner 23 15 2 0 9  Odyssey Sims 27 4 4 3 0    Related Links  ♦ Big 12 Championship Central | Season Stats | Media Guide  ♦ Big 12 Mobile Apps | Big 12 Digital Network  ♦ Big 12 Report - presented by Dr Pepper

By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent

Baylor's season-long odyssey has reached Denver and the Final Four thanks in large part to Odyssey Sims.

The top-seeded Lady Bears finished the job that went unfinished a year ago when Baylor lost to Texas A&M in the Dallas Regional final. Monday night in the Des Moines Regional final, Baylor defeated an iconic program and the winningest coach in college history to complete the task.

Sims scored a season-high 27 points and Brittney Griner came within a blocked shot of a triple double as the Lady Bears (38-0) turned back several challenges from the Lady Vols to complete a 77-58 victory.

"We're definitely happy that we got past this game," said Griner, who after a slow start offensively finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks. "It's not over. We got our next game, and it gets tougher as you go."

Baylor, two victories away from its second national championship, will face Stanford (35-1) in Sunday's national semifinal. The Cardinal, a No. 1 seed, advanced by defeating No. 2 seed Duke 81-69 Monday night in the Fresno Regional.

Stanford brings a 32-game winning streak to Denver and will be facing a Big 12 team in the semifinal for the third consecutive season.

Tennessee (27-9) took a 9-4 lead in the first five minutes but Baylor answered with consecutive baskets from Sims and Griner to take the lead for good. Griner's layup with 31 seconds remaining gave the Lady Bears their biggest lead of the half, 35-20. Griner blocked two shots in the last five seconds before halftime.

The Lady Vols cut the lead to nine points on three different occasions but each time, Sims had the answer. The last time Tennessee got the deficit to single digits came with 11:36 remaining when Glory Johnson's layup made it 47-38.

On Baylor's next possession, Sims passed inside to Griner who passed back to Sims behind the 3-point line. She swished the shot, the lead was 12 and the Lady Bears were in complete control the rest of the way.

Sims and Kimetria "Nae-Nae" Hayden were a combined 8-of-11 on 3-point shots. Tennessee's efforts to double team Griner left Baylor's perimeter players open.

"If you're going to leave us open we have to take that shot," Mulkey said. "I thought Nae-Nae and Odyssey nailed it. Odyssey had a chance at this level last year and didn't get it done and she got it done today."

In last year's regional final loss to Texas A&M, Sims missed all six of her shots and scored just two points. Sims was 5-of-8 from 3-point range against Tennessee. In the last seven games, she had made eight threes.

"I tried my best to lead the team," Sims said. "Scoring was never first on my mind. I just knew I had to take care of the ball, get the ball up the floor, and lead the team."

The Lady Vols shot 30.3 percent from the field (23-of-76) and were 4-of-21 from 3-point range (19 percent). In five NCAA victories, Baylor's opponents are 88-of-276 from the field (31.8 percent) and 20-of-73 from 3-point range (27.3 percent).

"Defense wins ball games for you," Mulkey said. "You've got to guard people. And these kids are going to guard you."

With 46.8 seconds remaining, Sims and Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen were involved in a scuffle after Sims followed her own missed shot. Several Baylor players, including Griner, left the bench. Each team was assessed a technical foul the original altercation. Griner, Jordan Madden and Terran Condrey were ejected for leaving the bench.

The NCAA says none of the players will be suspended for the Final Four.

"My three should have never left the bench," Mulkey said. "They were ejected and they should have been."

Mulkey and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, hugged after the game and Mulkey could be seen saying, "I love you." They've known each other since the early 1980s. Because of Summitt's medical situation, there is speculation the loss to Baylor might have been her last game.