SALT LAKE CITY (Interstat) — The Baylor Lady Bears used a dominant defensive performance to grind out a 61-45 victory over the Utah Utes in a Big 12 women’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

In a contest defined by frigid shooting and physical play, Baylor improved to 16-3 overall while Utah fell to 13-5. A crowd of 2,862 watched as both teams struggled offensively, combining to shoot just 30.9% from the field.

The decisive stretch of the game came in the second quarter, where Baylor’s defense completely stifled the Utah attack. After a competitive first quarter that ended with Baylor leading 21-18, the Lady Bears held the Utes to a mere six points in the second period. Utah missed 12 of its 14 field goal attempts in the quarter, including all five from three-point range, and committed five turnovers. Baylor, meanwhile, managed 14 points to take a 35-24 lead into halftime, a cushion it would not relinquish.

The Utes never recovered from that offensive drought. For the game, Utah shot just 26.2% from the field and a dismal 12% from beyond the arc, making only 3 of 25 attempts. Baylor was not much more efficient, shooting 38.7% overall, but found enough offense from its key players and capitalized on its opportunities from deep, hitting 9 of 25 three-pointers.

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, a 6-foot-1 forward from Oklahoma City, led Baylor with 11 points, adding an assist and a block in 22 minutes. Guard Jana Van Gytenbeek of Greenwood Village, Colorado, provided crucial playmaking, dishing out six assists and scoring 10 points in a team-high 36 minutes. Taliah Scott added 14 points and three assists for the Lady Bears.

Utah was led by the duo of Chyra Evans and Lani White, who each scored 14 points. Evans, a 6-foot-2 forward from Newcastle, Australia, also had three assists and a block. White, a 5-foot-11 guard from Irvine, California, contributed three assists as well. However, the rest of the Utes’ lineup combined for just 17 points.

Baylor’s interior defense was a significant factor, blocking seven Utah shots compared to just two for the Utes. Bella Fontleroy recorded three of those blocks for Baylor to go with eight points. The Lady Bears also won the turnover battle, committing 10 while forcing Utah into 14.

The game’s tempo was slow, with Baylor using 66 possessions and Utah 69. The offensive ratings reflected the struggle: Baylor posted a 92.0, while Utah managed only 65.5. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, with Baylor making 4 of 7 and Utah converting 10 of 14.

Baylor’s victory came as a slight surprise against the betting markets. While Interstat’s ELO system gave Baylor a 60.5% probability to win, the Lady Bears had been installed as a 3.5-point favorite. The combined score of 106 points fell well under the over/under line of 131.5.

The win extends Baylor’s recent strong form in conference play. The Lady Bears travel to face BYU on Saturday. Utah, which saw a three-game winning streak snapped, looks to rebound on the road at Houston, also on Saturday.