Baylor
2-0
Saint Francis (PA)
0-2
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Brown scores 23, No. 4 Baylor women rip Saint Francis 116-58
11/8/2018 9:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Saint Francis (Pa.) was so aware of 6-foot-7 All-American Kalani Brown and 6-4 Lauren Cox that the Red Flash rarely even tried to attack the paint. All but 14 of their 71 shots came from outside the 3-point arc.
The fourth-ranked Baylor Lady Bears (2-0) gave up 17 treys – the most by an opponent in program history story – but coasted to a 116-58 win over Saint Francis Thursday night before a Ferrell Center crowd of 4,578.
"When we play teams that spread the floor like that, it's very obvious to be concerned with Kalani and Cox having to go outside," coach Kim Mulkey said. "I think DiDi Richards sets the tone for us, because she's going to be assigned to the opposing team's best players. She wouldn't let (Jess Kovatch) get a good look until that one possession where she helped on the drive, ball side, and they kicked it out."
Kovatch, the NCAA's active leader in scoring and 3-pointers, led the Red Flash (0-2) with 15 points and 5-of-15 shooting from outside the arc. Courtney Zezza knocked down four 3-pointers and added 14 points, but Saint Francis was outscored 90-6 in the paint and was outrebounded, 62-23.
Shooting their highest field goal percentage (65.8) percent since March 4, 2013, the Lady Bears did most of their damage inside. Brown and freshman forward NaLyssa Smith had 23 and 21 points, respectively, while freshman Queen Egbo added 14 points and didn't miss a shot (6-for-6).
"I'm very comfortable," said Smith, who recorded her first double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds and shot 8-of-14 from the floor. "I feel like I'm adjusting well to this, and just keep going from here."
Baylor's only real struggle on the defensive end came in a fourth-quarter stretch when Saint Francis hit three 3-pointers and went on an 11-0 run that cut the deficit to 105-52.
"We were fine until Kalani and Queen started giving them 3's with their hands down," Mulkey said. "Kalani is better on the perimeter, but we're going to keep pushing her to get better."
Brown, who was 11-of-14 from the floor, said she knows "defending on the perimeter has been a little difficult for me, moving my feet and stuff. But, I've gotten better, so I just wanted to debut that today. I may have given up one or two 3's."
It didn't matter, though. Baylor was just too big and fast for the Red Flash, scoring 42 fast-break points to go with the 90 points in the paint.
"We want to run every chance we can. We have athletes," Mulkey said. "When you get a rebound, I'll let a post player take it and go if you see the opportunity. I love pushing the ball up the floor. Nobody wants to play if you walk it up the floor the whole night. When our posts get, if you'll watch, they'll turn. Cox turns and throws a pass like ol' Bill Walton used to do. Y'all know who he is?"
Other than the inside trio of Brown, Smith and Egbo, Baylor's only other double-figure scorer was senior point guard Chloe Jackson. The LSU grad transfer had 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting and added six assists, four steals and three rebounds.
The only real issue for the Lady Bears was the continued struggles at the free throw line. After missing 20 in one of the exhibition games and going 9-for-20 in Tuesday's 100-39 season-opening win over Nicholls State, they were just 15-of-29 on Thursday.
"My biggest concern after two games is free throws," Mulkey said. "You cannot get to the line this many times in the last two games and shoot less than 50 percent. That ought to be embarrassing to each of them. If you're going to be a team that's ranked this high, and expectations are what they are, step up to the line and make your free throws."
Baylor goes on the road to face No. 23 Arizona State (1-0) in the "Showdown on the Rez" at 6:30 p.m. CST Sunday in Defiance, Ariz. The Sun Devils opened the season with an 81-43 win over Incarnate Word on Tuesday.
