Baylor
Maryland
No. 6 WBB Readies for Top-10 Showdown at No. 3 Maryland
11/20/2021 3:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bears 40-25 all-time in top-10 matchups
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BAYLOR BEARS (3-0) Location: Waco,Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
BAYLOR (3-0) at MARYLAND (5-0) November 21, 2021 • 12 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • XFINITY Center (17,950) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: Big Ten Network Talent: Sloane Martin (pxp), Christy Winters Scott (analyst) LISTEN: ESPN 1660AM, 92.3FM, BaylorBears.com Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Sophia Young-Malcolm (Analyst) Baylor Social Media:    |
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MARYLAND TERRAPINS (5-0) Location: College Park, Md. Conference/Affiliation: Big Ten Head Coach: Brenda Frese (Arizona, 1993) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
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By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
After opening the Nicki Collen era with three relatively easy wins, the No. 6 Baylor women (3-0) will go on the road for the first time to face third-ranked Maryland (5-0) at noon Sunday at XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.
"I think you want to get that test before the testers come too late and you're not prepared for it or have time to kind of fix the things that need to be fixed," said grad transfer guard Jordan Lewis, who's averaging 11.3 points and a team-best 5.5 assists.
"This is going to be really good for us, just to get our feet wet. I think we have to face the challenge head-on, we can't run from it."
Maryland has depth and size, with six players averaging double-digit points and only one of Terps' top-seven rotation under 6-foot tall. Angel Reese, a 6-3 sophomore forward, leads the way with 19.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, but the Terps have backcourt size with 6-1 junior Chloe Bibby (10.8 ppg), 6-3 Diamond Miller and 6-2 freshman Shyane Sellers (13.0 ppg).
This will be a particularly difficult challenge for Baylor's starting backcourt of the 5-7 Lewis, 5-5 grad transfer Ja'Mee Asberry (8.3 ppg) and 5-6 sophomore Sarah Andrews (11.7 ppg).
"Here's the thing, they are going to post us up," Collen said. "It's going to be really important for our posts to see what's happening, really see and feel what's happening in terms of showing congestion, showing back side help, that our guards are willing to battle and get on top and we make them work."
The high-profile matchup features an intriguing matchup between Reese and 6-4 Baylor senior All-American Nalyssa Smith, who is averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds and shooting 61.3% from the floor.
"I worry about the glass," Collen said. "Lys and Queen (Egbo) have to clean up the boards. Our guards need to keep their guards off the boards, but they've got to clean it up."
Coming off a monster double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a 78-39 win over Central Arkansas on Monday, Egbo is averaging 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and shooting a sizzling 80.0% (20-of-25) from the field.
"You always know when she's going to take over," senior forward Caitlin Bickle said of Egbo, "because that girl will have like 15 or 20 boards in a game. I think you'll just see how comfortable she gets. She'll square up, she's not questioning her moves. She's not trying anything that's too difficult. She just keeps it simple."
While Smith and Egbo have been dominant inside, shooting a combined 70.0% and averaging almost 34 points per game, the Bears have struggled from outside the arc. They are shooting 26.4% as a team, with Lewis, Asberry and Andrews connecting on 16-of-55 from 3-point range.
Asberry had a rough night against Central Arkansas, missing her first seven shots before draining a floater in the lane and a 3-pointer from the wing.
"For me, I think it comes down to, is she prepared to shoot it?" Collen said of Asberry. "If I shot like her, I'd always be prepared, because I think she's got such a good shooter form. But, her feet have to be ready, she has to catch it ready and she has to call for the ball."
In addition to Reese, Bibby and Sellers, who comes off the bench, the Terps also get consistent scoring from 6-0 junior guard Ashley Owusu (15.0 ppg, 3.8 assists), 5-6 point guard Katie Benzan (13.4 ppg, 4.8 assists) and 6-3 sophomore forward Mimi Collins (16.2 ppg, 7.8 rebounds).
Bickle, who's been in her share of big games in the previous three seasons, said the key is "just staying level-headed, don't let the hype get to you."
"Obviously, it's going to be an exciting atmosphere," she said, "but always stay calm, do what you're going to do, play how you're going to play. Don't try to do anything that's out of your reach, or out of the normal. Just play your game. And if everyone does that, then I think we'll be fine."
Sunday's game will be a homecoming for first-year Baylor assistant coach Chloe Pavlech, a four-year letterman at the University of Maryland (2012-16) who also served as a color commentator and sideline reporter for Maryland games on the Big Ten Network from 2018-20.
"It's not weird," said Pavlech, who played under current Maryland head coach Brenda Frese with the Terps, earning All-ACC Freshman Team honors in 2013. "I did it before when I was (a graduate assistant) at UConn. I know (Frese) will welcome me with open arms. A lot of my former teammates are coming, too, and a lot of family and friends. I'm looking forward to it."
The top-10 matchup will be broadcast by the Big Ten Network, with Sloane Martin and Christy Winters Scott calling the action.
Following the Maryland trip, the Bears will head to Cancun, Mexico, for the Cancun Challenge, facing Fordham (2-1) at 10 a.m. CST Thursday, Arizona State (1-2) at 10 a.m. Friday and Houston (2-2) at 12:30 p.m. next Sunday, Nov. 28.
"I think this is what everyone wants to do. You want to be on the big stage, you want to be in front of crowds, and you want to perform," Lewis said. "I think that's what everyone works hard for is to be under the lights. I think it's an opportunity to take advantage of."
TOP-10 SHOWDOWN
• No. 6 Baylor travels to College Park, Md., to take on No. 3 Maryland at noon (CT) on Sunday. This will be BU's first game in the state of Maryland in program history.
• The Bears have played in 65 top-10 contests in their history (see page 5). Baylor is 40-25 all-time in these match-ups. BU is 13-3 at home, 10-10 on the road and 17-12 at neutral sites.
• Thirteen of those contests have come in the month of November with Baylor going 6-7.
• Baylor and Maryland have only played once before when the two teams met up in the Sweet 16 of the Albuquerque Regional.
• Baylor assistant coach Chloe Pavlech played at Maryland from 2012-13 to 2015-16.
SECOND-HALF SURGE
• Baylor led UT Arlington 38-32 at halftime before taking things to another level in the second half.
• The Bears put their foot down on the gas and never looked back as a 20-9 third quarter paved the way to a 27-point win in their second game in three days to start the season.
• In the first half, UTA shot 39 percent from the floor. But the Baylor defense locked things down in the second half as the Lady Mavs only shot 22 percent for a total of 22 points.
• NaLyssa Smith became the first Big 12 player this season to have a 20+ point, 10+ rebound game as she finished with 21 points and 16 boards on Thursday.
• Ja'Mee Asberry caught fire from the perimeter as the Oklahoma State transfer sank five shots from the perimeter. She nailed one at the halftime buzzer before sinking another in the opening minutes of the third quarter as part of a BU 11-0 run.
• Caitlin Bickle had an all-around game for Baylor as the senior finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
SEASON-OPENING WIN
• Baylor began the Nicki Collen era with a win over Texas State on Tuesday.
• Three Bears finished in double figures - NaLyssa Smith (23 points), Queen Egbo (16 points) and Jordan Lewis (14 points). Egbo also brought down 11 rebounds, and Lewis dished out seven assists.
• After the first exhibition, Collen mentioned the difference with this year's group of guards and how their size plays into the rebounding numbers. After pulling down one rebound in the opening exhibition, Sarah Andrews was second on the team on Tuesday with eight rebounds.
