Women’s Top 25 roundup: No. 12 Ohio State uses hot start to upset No. 2 Maryland

Kelsey Mitchell scored 31 points and No. 12 Ohio State used a sizzling start to upset second-ranked Maryland 98-87 on Monday night in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State (24-5, 14-1 Big Ten) scored 35 points in the first 10 minutes on 14 for 18 shooting, led by nine at the half and held on as Maryland rallied in second half. The Terps were down by two at the start of the fourth quarter and were down by six with 1:29 left, but had to start fouling and couldn’t make up the deficit.

The loss was only the second for the Terps (26-2, 14-1) this season and their first in the Big Ten. Their last was a six-point setback to No. 1 UConn on Dec. 29.

Shayla Cooper had 20 points nine rebounds, and Alexa Hart added 15 for the Buckeyes, who won their 10th straight game.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led Maryland with 29 points and Brionna Jones had 21 on aggressive play in the paint.

This was the first win for Ohio State over a team ranked No. 1 or No. 2 since the Buckeyes topped second-ranked Iowa on March 7, 1993.

(4) Baylor 70, (6) Texas 67: Kalani Brown scored 35 points and the Lady Bears (26-2, 15-1) took a huge step toward another Big 12 title with a tough win over the Longhorns (21-6, 14-2) in Austin, Texas.

Baylor trailed most of the way, but stayed close as Brown took the game on her shoulders. Her five straight points in the fourth quarter keyed a 9-0 Baylor run that opened up 65-56 lead.

The Lady Bears played most of the game without senior guard and scoring leader Alexis Jones, who left with a knee problem early in the first half. The Lady Bears didn’t make a 3-pointer the entire game but dominated inside, outscoring Texas 36-20 in the paint.

The win gives Baylor a one-game lead over Texas in the Big 12 with two games left for both teams Texas closed within three points three times in the final 35 seconds, but Brooke McCarty’s 3-pointer after a Baylor turnover bounced off the rim just before the final buzzer.