HOUSTON (AP) - Brittney Griner scored a season-high 35 points and third-ranked Baylor cruised to an 89-49 victory over Rice on Tuesday night.
Playing in her hometown of Houston for the first time, Griner received a standing ovation from the predominantly Baylor-backing crowd when she was introduced before the game.
The 6-foot-8 senior added nine rebounds and four blocks as Baylor (6-1) raced to a 46-17 halftime lead and never looked back.
When Griner was benched with more than 12 minutes remaining, she had seven more points than Rice's entire team.
Jessica Kuster scored 18 points for Rice (2-4). The Owls missed 15 of their first 16 shots and finished 15 for 65 against Baylor's stellar defense.
Baylor All-American point guard Odyssey Sims missed her fourth straight game since sustaining a strained hamstring in the Lady Bears' loss to Stanford.
No. 24 IOWA ST. 87, DRAKE 45
AMES, Iowa (AP) - Hallie Christofferson had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Nicole Blaskowsky and Anna Prins scored 17 points each to lead Iowa State over Drake.
Nikki Moody added 15 points and 10 assists for the Cyclones (5-0), who played their second game without star forward Chelsea Poppens, who suffered a concussion against Loyola Marymount on Nov. 23. She has plenty of time to rest before the team's next game against Iowa on Dec. 6.
Cara Lutes scored 19 points for the Bulldogs (1-4), who shot 16.1 percent (5 of 31) in the first half and went 11:40 without a field goal as Iowa State built a 51-13 halftime lead.
It was Iowa State's eighth win in the last nine meetings between the schools.