UConn jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead much to the delight of the sellout crowd of 16,294 that was whipped into a frenzy on every Huskies basket. The Lady Bears rallied behind Griner, who was more of a passer than a scorer over the first 20 minutes. She'd catch the ball and quickly draw three UConn defenders before dishing it down low for an easy layup for a teammate.
"We're a team that has seen it all," Mulkey said. "We're a team that has seen every defense imaginable."
The Huskies opened a 27-18 advantage with 3:30 left in the first half before Baylor scored the next eight points. Mosqueda-Lewis was fouled just before the half to make it 29-26 at the break.
"As well as we played defensively in the first half, it should have been a 15-point game instead of a three-point game. That changes everything," Auriemma said. "We knew in the locker room they weren't going to get 26 in the second half."
Griner scored four points in the first half and Sims had only two as she missed nine of her 10 shots — including her first seven.
"Brittney and Odyssey are two of the finest to ever play the game. But they don't win it by themselves," Mulkey said. "We went on a run with Niya Johnson on the floor. We went on a run with Alexis Prince on the floor. Those kids are freshmen that can play."
The game capped a weeklong celebration of games in honor of former N.C. State coach Kay Yow, who died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Baylor wore pink sneakers while UConn had the same color adorning its uniforms. Mulkey wore a pink jacket and leather pants.
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