No. 8 TCU claims 1st Big 12 title with win over No. 17 Baylor

Hailey Van Lith has led TCU all season, and she did it again as No. 8 TCU defeated No. 17 Baylor 64-59 in the championship game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Van Lith led the Horned Frogs with 20 points to help TCU capture its first title in program history. It was also the team's first appearance in the championship game.

Baylor, meanwhile, was playing in its 16th Big 12 title game, the most in conference history. The Bears have won a record 11 tournament titles.

TCU (31-3) also got a double-double from Sedona Prince with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Donovyn Hunter and Madison Conner each had 11 points for TCU.

Aaronette Vonleh led Baylor (27-7) with 20 points. Sarah Andrews added 13 points and Yaya Felder had 12.

The lead in the third quarter fluctuated between 7 and 12 points, with TCU taking a 51-43 lead into the final frame. Felder had 10 points in the third and Vanleh had 8.

Trailing by eight midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears used an 8-0 run to tie the game at 57-57.

Van Lith hit a layup with 48.8 seconds left to give TCU a 4-point lead. Baylor cut it to 61-59. Conner hit 1 of 2 free throws and Vonleh's 3-pointer missed with three seconds remaining.

There was good and bad news for TCU in the first half. The Horned Frogs led 30-19 after grabbing a 21-9 advantage on the boards, including 10 by Prince. That made up for 15 first-half turnovers. TCU's Conner and Hunter led with eight points each at halftime.

The Bears failed to take advantage of the TCU miscues and didn't have a player with more than four points in the first half.

--Field Level Media