Baylor
Northwestern State
No. 7 WBB Blows Past Northwestern State 136-43
12/18/2020 4:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lady Bears score second-most points in a single game in school history
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Honestly, it's easy to get lost in the monster numbers put up by the post trio of NaLyssa Smith, Queen Egbo and freshman Hannah Gusters – a combined 73 points and a cool 75 percent shooting from the field –in seventh-ranked Baylor's 136-43 dismantling of Northwestern State Friday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.
But, don't sleep on Jordyn Oliver.
The sophomore guard recorded her first double-double with a career-high 12 points and 10 assists and turned it over just once in 20 minutes, helping Baylor (6-1) set an NCAA record with 45 assists.
"You play the game today, and you don't realize Jordyn had a double-double, assists and points," said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, whose team has reeled off five-straight wins and three in the last five days. "Nalyssa's 30, Queen's 21 and even Hannah's double figures with 22, but we need to talk about Jordyn Oliver taking care of the basketball,- 10 assists, one turnover - and then being able to score the ball."
Scoring certainly wasn't a problem for the Lady Bears. The 136 points were the second-most in program history and the most since a 140-32 win over Winthrop on Dec. 15, 2016.
"I thought Queen and (NaLyssa) and Hannah and those guys rebounded the ball, and all they had to do was turn and throw outlet passes," Mulkey said. "We're known for our post play, but we're also known for our posts that get up and down the floor, because we're not walking it up. I just thought we got a lot of easy transition baskets today."
Going back to Sophia Young, Brittney Griner and Kalani Brown off the three national championship teams, when Baylor post players run the floor, they're rewarded.
"I know they're going to get it to me, Jordyn specifically," said the 6-5 Gusters, who scored 12 of her career-high 22 points in the first quarter, helping the Lady Bears jump out to a 38-15 lead. "As soon as she gets the ball and takes off, she knows I'm coming and she's going to look at me first."
All 11 Baylor players scored in the game, including sophomore transfer Jade Owens from UCLA, who became immediately eligible after the NCAA issued a blanket waiver for all Division I transfers. She hit a 3-pointer on her only field goal attempt of the game with 7:23 left in the first half as part of a 19-0 run that stretched the lead to 57-15.
"I wanted her to get in there with the older bunch, with the returning players and starters, so that she would look good," Mulkey said of Owens. "She hit her first shot, she had a steal. She got a good 10 to 11 minutes of play, and that's good."
Trailing 74-21 aft the half, Northwestern State (0-3) failed to hit a shot inside the 3-point arc in the first two quarters. The Lady Demons were 7-of-20 from 3-point range and missed all nine shots inside the arc in the first half.
Even in a 93-point blowout victory, "playing other teams helps us find a feel for each other and build team chemistry," said Smith, who was 12-of-15 from the floor and tied her career high with 30 points.
"I feel like playing games against other teams is a good experience for us," she said.
Smith had gone to the bench with 4:32 left after an Egbo bucket that made it 120-38, swapping out five for five. But, thanks to senior guard DiDi Richards putting in a good word with Mulkey, Smith subbed back in the game long enough to hit a baseline jumper and get to 30 points for the second time in her career.
"I was going to be sick if I went home with 28," she said. "So, DiDi (Richards) told (Mulkey), and I was happy she let me go back in."
Moon Ursin and Trinity Oliver also topped their previous career bests with seven and six assists, respectively.
On the one-year anniversary of Juicy Landrum setting an NCAA, Big 12 and Baylor school record with 14 3-pointers in a 111-43 blowout of Arkansas State, the Lady Bears rewrote the history book again with 45 assists. That broke the previous mark of 43 shared by Northwestern State and Nebraska.
DiJonai Carrington and freshman Sarah Andrews scored 13 and 12 points, respectively for the Lady Bears, while Tristen Washington drained four 3-pointers to lead the Lady Demons with 12 points. Caitlin Bickle had a career-high 11 rebounds, helping Baylor dominate the boards, 56-15, and score 68 second-chance points.
Baylor plays its fourth game in six days, hosting McNeese State (0-6) at 2 p.m. Saturday, before taking a two-week break for Christmas. Saturday's game will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor basketball coach Jim Haller calling the action.
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