Medlock helps Baylor win Big 12 title

Jhasmin Player scored a season-high 25 points, former USC player Morghan Medlock came off the bench to add 15 and the seventh-ranked Bears beat No. 10 Texas A&M;, 72-63, to win the Big 12 tournament title Sunday at Oklahoma City.

“I had some sleepless nights when we lost here last year,” said Player, who had missed the conference tournament last season because of a knee injury.

This time, despite losing leading scorer Danielle Wilson to a season-ending knee injury in the final week of the regular season, the Bears (27-5) claimed their second Big 12 title. The other one came in Baylor’s national championship season in 2005. Medlock scored 11 points in an 18-2 first-half surge by the Bears, much of it coming while Danielle Gant of the Aggies (25-7) was on the bench with two fouls.

With the win, Baylor may have locked up a No. 2 seeding -- and perhaps has an outside chance for a No. 1 seeding -- when the NCAA brackets are announced today. The Big 12’s Oklahoma, ranked No. 3, is also a contender for a No. 1 seeding.

“If we’re the No. 1 RPI conference in America . . . then why can’t we have two No. 1 seeds?” Mulkey said of the Big 12.

No. 11 North Carolina 75, South Dakota 69 -- Cetera DeGraffenreid scored 19 points to help the Tar Heels (27-6), who added this game at Chapel Hill, N.C., to fill the two-week gap between the end of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and the NCAA competition.