NO. 4 MISSOURI 72, NO. 6 BAYLOR 57: Phil Pressey had a team-high 19 points, and Michael Dixon added 16 off the bench, as No. 4 Missouri earned a season sweep over the sixth-ranked Bears.

The Big 12 Conference, once a three or four-team race, now appears to be down to just two. Missouri (23-2, 10-2 Big 12) and No. 9 Kansas are the proverbial favorites, and Baylor (21-4, 8-4 Big 12) — which lost to both teams twice — is likely out of the picture.

Missouri has a two-game lead over the Bears, who are just 4-4 after starting the year 17-0, the second-to-last remaining unbeaten team in the country. Iowa State is two back in the loss column at 7-4.

This was a close game until the 13-minute mark of the second half. Baylor trailed 38-37 after a Quincy Miller layup, but Missouri responded with a 17-4 run — capped off by Dixon’s 3-pointer with 9:48 left — to take a 55-41 lead.

Baylor, which shot just 36 percent from the field, managed just one basket during a near nine-minute stretch as the Tigers stretched the lead to double figures.

Miller had a game-high 20 points for the Bears, who lost for the fifth time in six games against Missouri. Perry Jones III, Baylor’s star center, was mostly ineffective. He finished with four points on just 2-of-12 shooting and had seven rebounds

Marcus Denmon, who averages a team-high 18 points, had eight of his 16 points in the second half for Missouri, which won despite being outrebounded 35-22. Denmon, Dixon and Pressey combined to make 12 of the team’s 14 3-pointers.

Kim English added 12 points for the Tigers, who took a 33-29 lead at the half and increased the advantage to as many as 16 in the second half.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Baylor held a 21-5 rebounding advantage in the first half … Missouri improved to 4-0 against the Big 12’s top four teams … The Bears haven’t won in Columbia since 1948 … Missouri’s seven-member senior class earned their 100th win.