Brittney Griner, Odyssey Sims and Brooklyn Pope didn't get much help from the rest of their teammates. The performance of that trio was still plenty for top-ranked Baylor to win its 28th consecutive home game.
''I thought there were only three players who came to play tonight,'' coach Kim Mulkey said. ''It's pretty obvious who they were.''
Griner had 20 points while Sims (19 points, 11 assists) and Pope (18 points, 11 rebounds) both had double-doubles in a 72-41 victory Thursday night over Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Griner, the 6-foot-8 junior phenom, and sophomore point guard Sims teamed up on a 16-2 run for Baylor (9-0) that stretched its lead to 24-9 about 13 minutes into the game. Griner scored the first six points before Sims scored 10 in a row.
''All coaches think their players are the best. But I truly believe that I'm getting to coach the best point guard in the country and the best center in the country. I really believe that,'' Mulkey said. ''And to think that one's got a couple of years left and one's got one year left, I don't know if the public out there watching even realizes that there's none out there any better than Griner, and there's none out there any better than Odyssey Sims.''
Ashley Green scored 11 points for Milwaukee (2-5), which is in the midst of a five-game road trip that takes the Panthers to No. 24 Oklahoma on Sunday.
The Lady Bears were up 56-19 after Griner scored eight points in a 12-1 run over the first 5 minutes of the second half.
Milwaukee had only one extended run during the game, scoring 10 consecutive points over a 4-minute span to get within 63-35 when all the Baylor starters were already out of the game.
The Panthers shot only 28 percent (15 of 53), including 5 of 29 on 3-pointers.
''For us, we just had to play the odds,'' Milwaukee coach Sandy Botham said. ''They're shooting 49 percent overall as a team and 33 from 3. We just knew we had to play the percentages and do our best, with Griner shooting in the 60s, try and contain her as much as we can and force the tougher shots.''
Griner was 8-of-10 shooting with six rebounds in 30 minutes. She picked up her third foul of the game with 9 minutes left. She had three fouls in a game only one other time this season.
Griner had two blocked shots, increasing her career total to 436, 11 from breaking Courtney Paris' Big 12 record.
Sims also had six steals with only two turnovers in 29 minutes. She has 51 assists over her last six games, with at least nine in every one of them.
''Odyssey Sims has come to play over the last month,'' Mulkey said. ''It's enjoyable to watch her. When we tip off, she's ready to play.''
Pope, Griner and Sims combined on 25-of-38 shooting for 57 points, outscoring Milwaukee on their own. The rest of the Lady Bears shot 4 for 22, including Kimetria Hayden and Jordan Madden, the other starting guards. They combined to shoot 0 for 9.
''Certain players are not coming to play. (Mulkey) knows what she's going to get out of me and BG,'' Sims said. ''Now we just need those other three or four players to step up, too. I'm just responding to her, and trying to give her everything I've got.''
The Lady Bears play St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Sunday morning, their last game before a home game a week later against No. 2 Connecticut.
''I'm just glad to go back and play at Madison Square Garden, because it's just an awesome experience,'' Griner said. ''I remember it from freshman year and I loved it. Being on that court, I thought I was an NBA player for a minute.''
