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Baylor pulls away from Notre Dame in 1 vs. 2 showdown

Nov 21, 2011 - 6:52 AM Waco, TX (Sports Network) - Brittney Griner poured in 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, as top-ranked Baylor pulled away in the second half for a 94-81 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame in the championship game of the preseason WNIT.

Odyssey Sims contributed 25 points, six assists and a career-high six steals for the Lady Bears (4-0), who have won 51 straight non-conference games at the Ferrell Center. Destiny Williams chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.

"I was just really pumped," said Griner. "Who wouldn't be pumped up to go out there and play? All of our fans were out there and they were into the game."

Natalie Novosel scored 28 points for the Irish (3-1), while Skylar Diggins added 27 in defeat.

Diggins drained a pair of free throws with just under 14 minutes remaining to pull Notre Dame within 56-55. The Irish had trailed by 11 at the break.

Griner then scored four points to key a 14-3 run and Sims completed the spurt with a steal and a layup for a 70-58 cushion. Notre Dame got only as close as nine from there and trailed by as many as 19 in the closing minutes.

The Lady Bears dominated the boards by a 52-37 count and shot 47 percent overall. Griner notched her 29th career double-double and her sixth 30-point effort.

"Defensively, our number one goal was to board, but we didn't," said Diggins. "We missed some box-out assignments and things like that. We've got to stay disciplined."

Notre Dame scored the first four points of the game, but Baylor took control late in the opening half. A pair of free throws by Sims with 4 1/2 minutes left capped an 11-2 surge and gave the Lady Bears a 30-20 edge.

The lead reached 35-24 a minute later on a three-pointer by Kimetria Hayden and two free throws by Hayden with just under two minutes left gave Baylor a 16-point margin.

A three-pointer by Novosel just before the halftime buzzer trimmed Notre Dame's deficit to 47-36.