• Lady Bears claim 2011 Big 12 Conference championship

    Women's basketball, 2010-11 Big 12 champs

    Six years ago, head coach Kim Mulkey’s squad, led by a dominant post player, claimed the Big 12 Conference regular season title, the conference tournament championship and then the program’s first NCAA title. Can 2011 bring a repeat of that story?

    The Lady Bears checked off the first of those steps Wednesday night, beating Missouri 84-52 to clinch the second Big 12 regular season championship in program history. At 27-2, Baylor is ranked No. 3 in the nation and finished its home schedule a school-record 19-0 in the Ferrell Center. (See photos of the postgame celebration here.)

    On Senior Night, they had to do it without senior star Melissa Jones, who injured her right eye diving for a ball last Saturday and is suffering swelling around her optic nerve, which has temporarily taken away the vision in that eye. The team got good news late Wednesday that Jones’ vision will return — adding to a day of good news for the Lady Bears. Jones was able to attend the game and participate in Senior Night activities.

    The Lady Bears have one final regular season game remaining, Saturday at Colorado. After that, they’ll head to Kansas City as the No. 1 seed in this year’s Big 12 tournament. Baylor will have a first-round bye, then meet either the No. 8 or 9 seed Wednesday at 11 a.m. in a game televised on FSN.

    After the Big 12 Championship, they’ll await the NCAA tournament bracket announcement on March 14 in which Baylor is widely expected to receive its first-ever No. 1 seed (BU was a No. 2 seed in 2005). For the first time since 2002, Baylor will host first and second round games at the Ferrell Center; get your tickets now!

    Sic ’em, Lady Bears!