WACO, Texas (AP) — Nina Davis scored 21 points, Niya Johnson had 12 assists to tie Baylor's career record and the Lady Bears are headed to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the seventh year in a row after a 73-44 win over Arkansas on Sunday.
The Lady Bears (32-3), the No. 2 seed in the Oklahoma City regional, took control with a 30-7 run to finish the first half — which ended with first-year Arkansas coach Jimmy Dykes getting a technical foul.
Kristy Wallace added 13 points, while Alexis Prince had 11 and Johnson 10. Sune Agbuke, the lone Baylor senior, had 12 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks.
The Lady Bears play Iowa (26-7) on Friday in Oklahoma City.
Jessica Jackson had 15 points and Melissa Wolff 13 for Arkansas (18-14), the No. 10 seed from the SEC.
Arkansas' Calli Berna wound up on the ground after driving to the basket, and Davis got the ball before passing ahead to Johnson for a buzzer-beating layup. An irate Dykes then went to each of the three officials before getting a technical after Baylor was already in the locker room with a 41-21 lead.
Johnson added two free throws before the start of the second half.
There were three ties and 10 lead changes early, the last when Johnson's two free throws with 10:43 left in the half that put the Lady Bears ahead to stay 15-14.
Baylor's big half-ending run started with the previous basket, a fastbreak when Johnson had a rebound and a nifty bounce pass to Big 12 player of the year Davis for a layup.
Johnson, the national assists leader whose 296 assists as a junior this season are a Big 12 record, has 641 career assists. That matches the total by two-time All-America player Odyssey Sims the past four seasons.
The Razorbacks were up 14-11 after Kelsey Brooks made a layup with 12:26 left. They then missed 12 field goals in a row until Jhasmin Bowen's layup with 3:39 left, and were down by 13 points.
The former Southwest Conference rivals met for the first time since a first-round NCAA game in 2001, which was coach Kim Mulkey's first season and the Lady Bears' first-ever tournament game. Arkansas won that game 68-59, the only first-round loss for Baylor in 14 NCAA appearances.
Baylor has won 21 consecutive home games, a stretch that started with its first two NCAA Tournament games last season. The Lady Bears have won 152 home games in a row against unranked opponents, since losing to Auburn in the 2003 WNIT finals.
TIP-INS
Arkansas: In their five NCAA Tournament appearances since going to the 1998 Final Four, the Razorbacks have won a first-round game each time — and then lost in their second game. ... The 20-point halftime deficit was the largest of the season for Arkansas.
Baylor: The Lady Bears are 35-11 in NCAA Tournament games. ... When Agbuke came out of her final home game with 8:47 left, she went to the bench to a wide smile and big hug from Mulkey, and a loud ovation from the crowd of 4,593.
UP NEXT:
Arkansas: Season over.
Baylor: Plays Iowa on Friday in Oklahoma City.