OKLAHOMA CITY — DeMarre Carroll scored 20 points and No. 14 Missouri ended Baylor’s surprising run through the Big 12 Tournament, grinding down the Bears 73-60 to win its first postseason conference title in 16 years.
Matt Lawrence added 13 points, and his hot shooting helped the third-seeded Tigers (28-6) pull away early in the second half to spoil what would have been an unprecedented run to the title for Baylor.
Baylor made it as far as the final with a string of three straight upsets that included a quarterfinal stunner against No. 11 Kansas, the three-time defending tournament champion and top seed.
Curtis Jerrells scored 16 to lead the ninth-seeded Bears (20-14), who finally ran out of gas in their bid to become the first Big 12 team to claim the tournament title by winning four games in four days.
“We don’t mind playing fast, but our advantage was inside and I don’t know if we had enough in the tank to do that nonstop,” Bears coach Scott Drew said.
Leo Lyons also scored 13 for Missouri, which took home its first conference title of any kind since winning the Big Eight regular-season championship in 1994. The Tigers’ last tournament crown was in 1993, with the last of four in a seven-year span.
Baylor became only the third team in the tournament’s 13 years to win three games in three days to even make it to the title game, joining Missouri’s teams from 1997 and 2003. This time, it was the Tigers playing the role of the favorite.
BAYLOR (20-14)
Rogers 4-6 0-3 8, Lomers 1-2 0-0 2, Jerrells 6-14 3-3 16, Dunn 3-17 3-3 11, Carter 2-7 1-4 6, Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Dugat 4-8 3-3 12, Diene 1-1 0-0 2, Jones 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 22-56 10-16 60.
MISSOURI (28-6)
Carroll 7-13 5-9 20, Lyons 5-9 3-3 13, Tiller 1-4 2-3 4, Taylor 3-7 2-4 9, Lawrence 4-7 2-2 13, Paul 1-3 0-0 3, Denmon 0-0 0-0 0, Ramsey 1-1 2-2 4, Bowers 0-0 0-0 0, Safford 0-2 0-0 0, English 2-5 1-1 7. Totals 24-51 17-24 73.
Halftime — Missouri 37-33. 3-point goals — Baylor 6-24 (Dunn 2-9, Jones 1-1, Dugat 1-3, Jerrells 1-5, Carter 1-6), Missouri 8-17 (Lawrence 3-6, English 2-4, Taylor 1-1, Paul 1-2, Carroll 1-2, Tiller 0-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Baylor 33 (Rogers 9), Missouri 38 (Carroll 9). Assists — Baylor 8 (Jerrells 3), Missouri 17 (Taylor 4). Total fouls — Baylor 19, Missouri 16. A — 15,321.
