Saturday, December 30
Austin, Texas
1 PM
Baylor
at
Texas
No. 10 WBB Opens Big 12 Action at No. 5 Texas
12/29/2023 11:16:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bears seeking 14th-straight win in Austin
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Despite the fact that 10th-ranked Baylor has beaten No. 5 Texas 13 times in a row in Austin and won 28 of the last 31 meetings overall, Nicki Collen still looks at the Longhorns as one of the "big dogs."
"I, honestly, think there are two teams you universally don't like, no matter where you're at in college athletics," said Collen, whose Bears (11-0) will face Texas (13-0) at 1:10 p.m. Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, "and it's usually Notre Dame and Texas. You kind of look at those teams as the big dogs. I don't mean that in just women's basketball, I think that's universal."
Coming off an eight-day Christmas break, Baylor opens conference against a shorthanded Texas team that lost Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Rori Harmon to a season-ending ACL injury in a shoot-around before Wednesday's game against Jackson State.
The 5-6 Harmon was averaging 14.1 points and 7.8 assists per game and was named the National Player of the Week after scoring 27 points with 13 assists and eight rebounds in the Longhorns' first-ever win over UConn on Dec. 3 in Austin.
"I think it all starts with her," Collen said of Harmon. "When you lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and it's over 6-1 (6.64-1), that's all you really need to know. She's someone that plays both sides of the ball and really sets the tempo."
With Harmon out, five-star freshman Madison Booker ran the point and had 16 points with nine assists and only one turnover in Wednesday's 97-52 win over Jackson State.
"Maddie Booker is one of the top freshmen in the country," Collen said. "I know we're talking about (Notre Dame's Hannah) Hidalgo and (LSU's Mikayla) Williams and (USC's) JuJu Watkins, but Maddie Booker's pretty complete. She's so comfortable in her pull-up game, she's got size, she plays multiple guard positions. She can play all over the place."
Senior forward Taylor Jones, who leads the Longhorns in scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounds (7.4), has also missed the last two games with a hip injury.
On the flip side, Baylor sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (11.5 ppg, 8.3 rebounds) came back from a fractured nose and had 18 points and 13 rebounds in the Bears' 73-50 win over South Florida on Dec. 21 in the West Palm Beach Classic.
"She's going to wear that mask every game, if you ask me," senior guard Sarah Andrews (13.4 ppg, 3.8 assists) said of Littlepage-Buggs wearing the protective mask. "But Buggs is going to Buggs. She's one of those people that you know what she's going to give you. She's going to play hard every game, no matter who the opponent is. She's who you want to be on a team with."
Senior forward Aijha Blackwell (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rebounds), who missed both games in Florida with a foot injury, is "going to give it a go" in Saturday's game.
"She's been in kind of return-to-play protocol of a foot injury," Collen said, "and we're just going to be really, really careful. This game is big, but we also want her for the duration of the season. So, we're not trying to put too much on having her ready if she's not. She will be suited up (Saturday)."
The Bears are one of three teams in the Big 12 (Kansas and Oklahoma State) with five or more players averaging double-digit points. In addition to Andrews, Littlepage-Buggs and Blackwell, sophomore forward Bella Fontleroy (10.3 ppg, 5.4 rebounds) and Kentucky transfer Dre'Una Edwards (12.0 ppg, 7.3 rebounds) are also scoring in double digits, with transfers Yaya Felder and Jada Walker close behind with 9.2 and 8.5 points, respectively.
Heading into the holiday break, Baylor and top-ranked South Carolina were the only two teams in the country that ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. The Bears ranked No. 14 in scoring offense (84.6 ppg) and 19th in scoring defense (53.1).
"We don't want to be a team that you just talk about offense," Collen said. "We don't want to be a team where you talk about defense. We want to be a complete team. That takes being able to win games however you need to win them. Even if we're playing great defense, I want to look good on both sides of the ball on every possession."
Baylor and Texas are two of 10 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I. In another top-10 matchup of undefeated teams, No. 2 UCLA (11-0) hosts No. 6 USC (10-0) on Saturday.
The Baylor-Texas game will be broadcast on FOX, with Tim Brando and Sarah Kustok on the call, marking the network's first over-the-air broadcast of Big 12 women's basketball.
"It's a huge Saturday in women's basketball when you look at multiple top-10 matchups over the course of the day," Collen said. "Being able to showcase, obviously Moody's an incredible venue, two really good teams and putting it on national TV, I just think it helps the Baylor brand. It helps Baylor women's basketball to be in that situation to play in front of a national audience."
After the No. 17/19 Baylor men (10-2) christen the new Foster Pavilion on Tuesday with a matchup against Cornell (9-2), the Baylor women host TCU (13-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the 7,500-seat facility.
AUSTIN – The No. 10 Baylor women's basketball team begins Big 12 play on the road when it faces No. 5 Texas on Saturday at the Moody Center.
Tip-off is set for 1:10 p.m. on FOX and is the first Big 12 women's basketball game to air on the national network with Tim Brando and Sarah Kustok on the call.
A live radio broadcast will be available on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM). Additionally, live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter and live stats.
STARTING FIVE
Texas leads the all-time series against Baylor, 60-49, and the Longhorns are 27-19 in Austin. Prior to the 2021-22 postseason, the Bears had won 13-straight meetings, including twice in the regular-season. Last year's series split with Texas marked the first time Baylor lost a regular season game to the Longhorns since the 2009-10 campaign when the Bears lost both contests. The Bears have won the last 13 games they've played in Austin.
LAST TIME OUT VS. TEXAS
Baylor's 63-54 win over the Longhorns in Austin last season on Feb. 27, 2023, marked the fifth top-25 win of the 2022-23 season for the Bears. The Bears became the 11th program in the nation to win at least five games against the AP Top-25 and the only school in the Big 12 to collect five wins over top-25 foes.
With the victory, the Bears snapped Texas' 12-game home win streak. Three Bears finished in double figures led by Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who finished with 19 points, going 9-for-18 from the floor, in 39 minutes off the bench. She scored 15 of her 19 in the opening half.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor women's basketball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorWBB.
Baylor Bear Insider
Despite the fact that 10th-ranked Baylor has beaten No. 5 Texas 13 times in a row in Austin and won 28 of the last 31 meetings overall, Nicki Collen still looks at the Longhorns as one of the "big dogs."
"I, honestly, think there are two teams you universally don't like, no matter where you're at in college athletics," said Collen, whose Bears (11-0) will face Texas (13-0) at 1:10 p.m. Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, "and it's usually Notre Dame and Texas. You kind of look at those teams as the big dogs. I don't mean that in just women's basketball, I think that's universal."
Coming off an eight-day Christmas break, Baylor opens conference against a shorthanded Texas team that lost Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Rori Harmon to a season-ending ACL injury in a shoot-around before Wednesday's game against Jackson State.
The 5-6 Harmon was averaging 14.1 points and 7.8 assists per game and was named the National Player of the Week after scoring 27 points with 13 assists and eight rebounds in the Longhorns' first-ever win over UConn on Dec. 3 in Austin.
"I think it all starts with her," Collen said of Harmon. "When you lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and it's over 6-1 (6.64-1), that's all you really need to know. She's someone that plays both sides of the ball and really sets the tempo."
With Harmon out, five-star freshman Madison Booker ran the point and had 16 points with nine assists and only one turnover in Wednesday's 97-52 win over Jackson State.
"Maddie Booker is one of the top freshmen in the country," Collen said. "I know we're talking about (Notre Dame's Hannah) Hidalgo and (LSU's Mikayla) Williams and (USC's) JuJu Watkins, but Maddie Booker's pretty complete. She's so comfortable in her pull-up game, she's got size, she plays multiple guard positions. She can play all over the place."
Senior forward Taylor Jones, who leads the Longhorns in scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounds (7.4), has also missed the last two games with a hip injury.
On the flip side, Baylor sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (11.5 ppg, 8.3 rebounds) came back from a fractured nose and had 18 points and 13 rebounds in the Bears' 73-50 win over South Florida on Dec. 21 in the West Palm Beach Classic.
"She's going to wear that mask every game, if you ask me," senior guard Sarah Andrews (13.4 ppg, 3.8 assists) said of Littlepage-Buggs wearing the protective mask. "But Buggs is going to Buggs. She's one of those people that you know what she's going to give you. She's going to play hard every game, no matter who the opponent is. She's who you want to be on a team with."
Senior forward Aijha Blackwell (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rebounds), who missed both games in Florida with a foot injury, is "going to give it a go" in Saturday's game.
"She's been in kind of return-to-play protocol of a foot injury," Collen said, "and we're just going to be really, really careful. This game is big, but we also want her for the duration of the season. So, we're not trying to put too much on having her ready if she's not. She will be suited up (Saturday)."
The Bears are one of three teams in the Big 12 (Kansas and Oklahoma State) with five or more players averaging double-digit points. In addition to Andrews, Littlepage-Buggs and Blackwell, sophomore forward Bella Fontleroy (10.3 ppg, 5.4 rebounds) and Kentucky transfer Dre'Una Edwards (12.0 ppg, 7.3 rebounds) are also scoring in double digits, with transfers Yaya Felder and Jada Walker close behind with 9.2 and 8.5 points, respectively.
Heading into the holiday break, Baylor and top-ranked South Carolina were the only two teams in the country that ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. The Bears ranked No. 14 in scoring offense (84.6 ppg) and 19th in scoring defense (53.1).
"We don't want to be a team that you just talk about offense," Collen said. "We don't want to be a team where you talk about defense. We want to be a complete team. That takes being able to win games however you need to win them. Even if we're playing great defense, I want to look good on both sides of the ball on every possession."
Baylor and Texas are two of 10 remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I. In another top-10 matchup of undefeated teams, No. 2 UCLA (11-0) hosts No. 6 USC (10-0) on Saturday.
The Baylor-Texas game will be broadcast on FOX, with Tim Brando and Sarah Kustok on the call, marking the network's first over-the-air broadcast of Big 12 women's basketball.
"It's a huge Saturday in women's basketball when you look at multiple top-10 matchups over the course of the day," Collen said. "Being able to showcase, obviously Moody's an incredible venue, two really good teams and putting it on national TV, I just think it helps the Baylor brand. It helps Baylor women's basketball to be in that situation to play in front of a national audience."
After the No. 17/19 Baylor men (10-2) christen the new Foster Pavilion on Tuesday with a matchup against Cornell (9-2), the Baylor women host TCU (13-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the 7,500-seat facility.
AUSTIN – The No. 10 Baylor women's basketball team begins Big 12 play on the road when it faces No. 5 Texas on Saturday at the Moody Center.
Tip-off is set for 1:10 p.m. on FOX and is the first Big 12 women's basketball game to air on the national network with Tim Brando and Sarah Kustok on the call.
A live radio broadcast will be available on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM). Additionally, live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter and live stats.
STARTING FIVE
- Baylor has five players averaging double figures led by Sarah Andrews' 13.4 points per game. The Bears are one of three teams (Kansas, Oklahoma State) in the Big 12 with five-or-more players averaging double digits.
- Heading into the holiday break, Baylor and South Carolina were the only two teams in the country that ranked in the top-20 nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. The Bears ranked No. 14 (84.6) in scoring offense and No. 19 in scoring defense (53.1), while South Carolina sat at No. 5 (92.5) and No. 9 (51.0) in each category, respectively.
- The Bears are seeking their second-straight conference opening win on Saturday and eighth in the last 10 years.
- In Baylor's 11 wins this year, the Bears have held their opponents to their lowest scoring output six times and an additional four teams to their second-lowest scoring outputs.
- Baylor is one of 10 teams in the country that is still undefeated and one of four Big 12 teams (Texas, West Virginia, TCU).
Texas leads the all-time series against Baylor, 60-49, and the Longhorns are 27-19 in Austin. Prior to the 2021-22 postseason, the Bears had won 13-straight meetings, including twice in the regular-season. Last year's series split with Texas marked the first time Baylor lost a regular season game to the Longhorns since the 2009-10 campaign when the Bears lost both contests. The Bears have won the last 13 games they've played in Austin.
LAST TIME OUT VS. TEXAS
Baylor's 63-54 win over the Longhorns in Austin last season on Feb. 27, 2023, marked the fifth top-25 win of the 2022-23 season for the Bears. The Bears became the 11th program in the nation to win at least five games against the AP Top-25 and the only school in the Big 12 to collect five wins over top-25 foes.
With the victory, the Bears snapped Texas' 12-game home win streak. Three Bears finished in double figures led by Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who finished with 19 points, going 9-for-18 from the floor, in 39 minutes off the bench. She scored 15 of her 19 in the opening half.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor women's basketball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorWBB.
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