AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas picked up right where it left off in the Big 12. Unfortunately for Baylor, so did the Bears.

Chris Mihm scored 15 points and Texas (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) used some tenacious defense in allowing its fewest points in 14 years in a 71-43 victory Thursday night.

Darren Kelly added 10 points and Texas (9-3, 1-0), the defending Big 12 regular season champion, held Baylor to 35 percent shooting, the third straight opponent the Longhorns held under 40 percent. It was the fewest points allowed by Texas since a 65-40 win over Baylor in 1986.

"I believe in defense," Texas coach Rick Barnes said.

"I believe you can create offense with your defense and if you bring your defense every night, you have a chance. We played the best basketball we've played all year."

Baylor came into the game leading the Big 12 with 10.5 steals per game but it was Texas who turned the game around with defense. Texas had 10 steals and scored 22 points off 23 turnovers.

"Coach Barnes is always talking to us about our identity and we decided as a team to make defense our identity for the year," Texas guard Ivan Wagner said.

"It was a message to the Big 12, to let them know what they can expect night in and night out," Wagner said.

Baylor (9-3, 0-1) had one of its best starts in school history outside of the conference but lost its 17th straight in regular season league play dating to the 1997-98 season. The Bears were 0-16 in the Big 12 last year.

It was the fewest points scored by the Bears this season under first-year coach Dave Bliss. Tevis Stukes led Baylor with 14 points and Terry Black had 13.

"We are not going to turn things around overnight but we will use this as a learning experience," Bliss said.

After Black hit a layup to give Baylor a 13-10 lead with 13:47 left in the first half, Texas held the Bears to just four more points before halftime and took a 30-17 lead.

The Longhorns were able to stretch a tight man-to-man defense almost to half court on nearly every Baylor possession and held Stukes, the Big 12's leading 3-point shooter, to 3-of-10 from long range.

"We came in trying to push the ball, trying to catch them off guard," Stukes said. "They kept backing our offense to the halfcourt line."

After Chris Owens tied it 13-13, Texas closed the half with a 17-4 run with Gabe Muoneke scoring six of his nine points in the stretch.

The second half was more of the same as Texas used a 16-0 run to stretch the lead to 52-22 with 9:37 left.

Mihm grabbed eight rebounds as Texas outrebounded Baylor 43-22 and held the Bears to just six offensive boards. Black, second in the Big 12 in rebounding behind Mihm, had just five rebounds, six below his average.

Texas leaves the Big 12 to play at No. 2 Connecticut, the defended national champion, on Monday night, when the Longhorns will likely have to shoot better from the foul line. Texas was just 7-of-17 from the line against Baylor.

Barnes said he would just as soon stay in conference.

"If I had it to do tonight, I probably wouldn't schedule the game," Barnes said. "But if you want to take your program to another level, you have to take on the best and they're the best."