Baylor soccer wins Big 12 title, will host NCAA tournament first round

Baylor soccer entered last week’s Big 12 tournament with the league’s No. 1 defense (No. 13 in the nation), allowing barely half a goal per game. That shutdown defense carried the Bears straight through the tournament to the program’s second Big 12 title in six years and the league’s automatic bid in this year’s NCAA tournament.

Led by All-Big 12 first-team selections Precious Akanyirige, Aline De Lima, and Julie James — the first time Baylor has ever had three first-team selections — head coach Paul Jobson’s squad went 10-5-2 in the regular season. Four of those five losses came in overtime, but Baylor avenged three of those losses — to 14th-ranked Texas, No. 16 Oklahoma State and TCU — by beating each during the tournament title run (with two of the three victories again coming in OT). (See highlights of the championship game victory below.)

In winning the Big 12 tournament, Baylor also clinched an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament. The Bears will host Rice, the Conference USA regular season champion, on Friday at 5 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. (Get your tickets here.) The winner of that game will advance to face the winner of No. 3 USC vs. Eastern Washington next week at a site to be determined. This is the fifth NCAA tournament selection in Baylor soccer history, and the fourth time the Bears have hosted first-round action.

Sic ’em, Baylor soccer!