No. 2/1 WBB Blows Past Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse

Wednesday, January 15

Lawrence, Kan.

7 PM

Baylor

14-1,3-0Big 12

Kansas

11-4,0-4Big 12

Baylor

Kansas

No. 2/1 WBB Blows Past Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse

1/15/2020 9:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Notes

All 11 players scored in the Lady Bears' 44th consecutive Big 12 regular season win

          LAWRENCE, Kan. – After last week's history-making win at UConn, snapping the Huskies' 98-game home-court winning streak, the No. 2 Baylor Lady Bears weren't about to let the Kansas Jayhawks turn the table on them.
            All 11 players scored, including five in double digits, as Baylor (14-1, 3-0) routed Kansas, 90-47, to tie the school and Big 12 record with its 44^th-consecutive win in conference play and 37^th league game in a row on the road, the third-longest streak in NCAA history.
            Senior All-American Lauren Cox and reigning Big 12 Player of the Week NaLyssa Smith had 13 points apiece for the Lady Bears, who set another school record with a 35-point halftime lead, 50-15.
            Not good enough, though, said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey. After holding Kansas to 15 first-half points on 6-of-26 shooting overall and 1-of-12 from 3-point distance, the Lady Bears gave up 32 points in the second half and the Jayhawks shot 48 percent (12-of-25).
            "I thought it was a tale of two halves," Mulkey said. "We were very dominant in the first half, came out smoking. In the second half, I think we looked at the scoreboard and got relaxed and we were not the same team in the second half. Credit Kansas, maybe they had something to do with that. But, we'll take a victory on the road, get on a plane and go home and get ready for a very good West Virginia team.
            Saturday's 7 p.m. matchup at the Ferrell Center with 17^th-ranked West Virginia (13-2, 3-1) lost some of its luster with the Mountaineers' 73-49 blowout loss at home to Oklahoma. That left Baylor as the only Big 12 team with an unblemished conference slate.
            What makes the Lady Bears close to impossible to defend is when they can come out and bury four 3-pointers in a 28-point first quarter. With Te'a Cooper and Juicy Landrum both knocking down three 3-pointers, Baylor was a sizzling 38.1 percent from 3-point distance (8-of-21) and shot 52.4 percent overall (33-of-63).
            "I think we have the all-around game," said sophomore guard Trinity Oliver, who scored a career-high 10 points, hitting 5-of-5 from the floor. "I think Coach gives us opportunities, and we just have to capitalize on our opportunities. We just have to be solid when she calls our name."
            Mulkey substituted freely the whole game, with all 11 players getting double-digit minutes and no one playing more than 24 minutes. Sophomore post Queen Egbo and freshman guard Jordyn Oliver each had nine points, with Baylor's bench outscoring the Kansas reserves, 37-6.
            "When you can do that in only your third game into the Big 12, then you're off to a good start," Mulkey said. "I understand there are time and places, but my expectations for everybody . . . in the third quarter, the starters were back in there, and I didn't think they came out of the gates like they did in the first quarter. We've got to get better at that."
            Aniya Thomas had 13 points and Mariane De Carvalho added 11 for the Jayhawks, who fell to 11-4 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12 with their fourth straight loss.
            "Baylor's really, really good," Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. "I told Coach Mulkey this morning, I think they're better than they were last year. And barring any injuries or anything crazy happening with their team, there's no doubt they could go win another national championship."
            Baylor returns home to host West Virginia at 7 p.m. Saturday in a game that will be televised by FS1.