On March 11, 2013, Iowa State got its third chance to face the best team in the country, Baylor, in the Big 12 Championship game. And on that night, Baylor showed why it was the best.

At halftime, the Lady Bears led the Cyclones 41-13 while holding them to the lowest points ever scored in a half in Big 12 Championship history.  Baylor senior Brittney Griner had 23 points, while the Cyclones’ Nikki Moody led her team with seven.

Senior Anna Prins said despite Griner’s aggressiveness, she took something positive away from the loss.

“It’s always a great opportunity to play against Brittney Griner,” Prins said. “Just to see her skillset improve through the last four years; she couldn’t miss tonight. It’s been an honor to play against her and Baylor in general.”

Prins said even though the loss was tough and hard to swallow at that moment, there’s always something to be learned.

Playing in the post position most of the night, Prins got to see Griner’s action more than any other Cyclone. Rather than being aggravated by getting blocked and having to take tough shots, Prins laughed off some frustration.

“[Griner] was definitely a different kind of presence,” Prins said. “When you know she’s behind you, I guess that’s the fun of the game. To figure out strategy and try to take what she gives you. And a lot of fakes.”

Prins helped her team get back on track by scoring 20 points overall. She helped keep the score close, in the second half at least.

One shot that could sum up the Cyclones’ evening was one taken by Moody in the first half — it sat on the support beam of the basket for at least three or four seconds before rolling out.

Moody said the shot seemed to just hang there forever.

“It was just devastating to me,” Moody said. “It just sat there for the longest [time] and then decided to roll out. I was pretty upset about that one.”

ISU coach Bill Fennelly said that was the kind of night his team was having. 

“When we’ve got a ball sitting on the rim that won’t go in and they throw one up at the end of the shot clock at the end of the game, that’s the kind of night it was,” Fennelly said.

Throughout the regular season, Fennelly said he was always looking forward to seeing Griner and the Baylor team again. On March 11, Fennelly wished for a fourth meeting between the two Big 12 opponents; another final shot.

“We wanted to see [Griner] one more time tonight,” Fennelly said. “And I’d like to see her one more time. That’d be in the national championship game.”