Oklahoma Defeats Baylor for Big 12 Title

Tournament MVP Stacey Dales scored 25 points to help fourth-ranked Oklahoma defeat No. 7 Baylor, 84-69, Saturday in the Big 12 Conference tournament final at Kansas City, Mo., giving the Sooners their first conference tournament title.

The win all but seals a No. 1 seeding in the NCAA tournament for the Sooners, who won by an average of 22 points in three Big 12 tournament games.

“There’s no way we’re not a No. 1 now,” Oklahoma Coach Sherri Coale said. “This is pretty special what we just did. But it’s not over.”

Oklahoma (27-3) fell behind early, but took control before halftime. The Lady Bears (26-5), who got 23 points from Danielle Crockrom, never recovered.

Oklahoma, the regular-season champion, forced 23 turnovers and posted its ninth consecutive win over Baylor.

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OTHER CONFERENCE FINALS

America East--Hartford (16-14) qualified for its first NCAA tournament by defeating Stony Brook, 50-47, at West Hartford, Conn.

Atlantic Sun--Holly Coates followed a missed shot with 1.4 seconds left to lift Georgia State past Florida Atlantic, 64-63, at Troy, Ala. The Panthers (21-9) rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit.

Big Sky--Stephanie Stanger scored 26 points to lead Weber State (22-8) to its first Big Sky Conference tournament championship and its first berth in the NCAA tournament with a 53-47 victory over Montana State at Ogden, Utah.

Colonial Athletic Assn.--Myriah Spence scored 15 points to lead No. 15 Old Dominion to a 76-48 victory over North Carolina-Wilmington at Norfolk, Va. Old Dominion (25-5) won its 11th consecutive CAA championship.

Mid-American--Jamie Rubis scored 19 points to help Kent State win its third Mid-American Conference tournament title in the last five years with a 73-59 victory over Ball State at Cleveland.

Mid-Eastern Athletic--Lawanda Newman scored 14 points to help Norfolk State beat Hampton, 61-52, at Richmond, Va. The third-seeded Spartans (22-8) earned an NCAA bid, the first for the school since it moved up from Division II in 1997.

Missouri Valley--Christy Neneman scored a career-high 39 points, 23 in the second half, to lead Creighton (24-6) to a 77-74 victory over Drake at Springfield, Mo.

Mountain West--Melanie Pearson scored 15 points to help Brigham Young (22-8) defeat Nevada Las Vegas, 61-46, at Las Vegas.

Northeast--Karen Hewitt scored a career-high 22 points as St. Francis, Pa. (19-11) beat Long Island U., 74-53, at Loretto, Pa.

Southland--Nathesia Wright scored 18 points as Stephen F. Austin (24-5) won at Nacogdoches, Texas, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 15th consecutive year with a 76-52 victory over Northwestern State.

Southwestern--Jacklyn Winfield scored 32 points, making seven of 10 three-point attempts to help Southern University beat Alabama State, 69-56, at Birmingham, Ala. Southern (26-4) earned its first NCAA berth.

Western Athletic--Amber Obaze scored 16 points to help No. 8 Louisiana Tech (25-4) beat Hawaii, 53-50, at Tulsa, Okla.