Sims reaches 1,000, sends Baylor to Elite Eight
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Notre Dame, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Odyssey Sims scored a game-high 25 points as the Baylor Lady Bears dismissed the Kentucky Wildcats, 90-72, in the semifinals of the Notre Dame Regional at the Joyce Center.
Sims, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark during the meeting, shot 11-of-23 from the floor and also handed out seven assists for the second-seeded Lady Bears (32-4). Nina Davis added 20 points and eight rebounds, Khadijiah Cave 20 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Niya Johnson registered a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 assists in the victory.
The third-seeded Wildcats (26-9) were paced by DeNesha Stallworth with 19 points and eight boards, while Linnae Harper and Bria Goss accounted for 14 and 13 points, respectively.
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Baylor led by double figures just over eight minutes into the meeting and enjoyed a 49-32 edge at the break thanks to 50 percent shooting from the field and 13-of-15 at the free-throw line. Kentucky also shot the ball well at the charity stripe (14-of-16) in the period, but the squad was a mere 25.0 percent accurate from the floor and missed on all seven chances behind the 3-point line.
Both sides knocked down 15-of-33 from the floor in the second half as they almost broke even during the 20-minute session, allowing the Lady Bears to cruise to the 18-point victory.
Sims is now just the second NCAA Division I women's player to score at least 1,000 points in a season, having entered the game today with 996. The record remains 1,062 points set by Jackie Stiles of Missouri State during the 2000-01 campaign.
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The Lady Bears will now face off against the winner of the Notre Dame/Oklahoma State matchup on Monday night for the right to be a part of the Final Four in Nashville