WBB Wraps Up Two-Game Road Swing at Kansas State

Wednesday, February 15

Manhattan, Kan.

6:30 p.m.

Baylor

Kansas State

WBB Wraps Up Two-Game Road Swing at Kansas State

2/13/2023 4:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Baylor Game Notes

The Bears have won 13 of the last 14 games in Manhattan

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Four weeks ago, a reeling Baylor women's basketball team coming off its first two conference losses bounced back in a big way with a 69-48 win at home over Kansas State.
            Back in that position again, after an overtime loss to 16^th-ranked Oklahoma and falling on the road at Oklahoma State by 21, the Bears (16-8, 7-5) will try to snap their second two-game losing streak of the season in Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. game against Kansas State (14-11, 3-9) at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.
            "There's a reason why teams that get on a roll keep rolling," said Baylor coach Nicki Collen. "And when teams get on a roll in a bad direction, it's easy for that to snowball as well. You have to be good at having a short-term memory, but also remember what you did to win three in a row. That team is still in us, too. I think it's about pulling those things out."
            Overcoming a slow start in that first meeting against K-State that saw them score just nine first-quarter points, the Bears exploded for 60 points over the last three quarters, behind Dariana Littlepage-Buggs' seventh double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds despite getting benched for most of the first half.
            Baylor had 28 assists on 29 made field goals, getting a career-high eight assists from senior forward Caitlin Bickle, who added six points, 10 rebounds and a block.
            "When you look at it analytically, Caitlin is our most valuable player," Collen said. "Our on-off, no matter what lineup Caitlin is in, we're like plus-30 on offense . . . her on-off numbers are insane. And it doesn't matter who you put her out there with."
            In Saturday's 77-56 loss at Oklahoma State, the Bears turned it over eight times in the first quarter and dug an early hole, falling behind 22-9.
            "We just started off really slow and they started off fast," said senior guard Ja'Mee Asberry, who's averaging 10.9 points per game. "It looked like they wanted to be there and we didn't. And I don't know why, because at the hotel everything was good, shootaround was good, practice. Everybody was bonding, we were smiling and laughing. Then when the game came, something shifted. Maybe it was the food they fed us."
            A consistent issue, particular in their losses, the Bears gave up 15 points off 19 turnovers. Bickle and junior guard Sarah Andrews (16.2 ppg, 4.5 assists) both turned it over six times.
            "I think you evaluate each play differently, for what that mistake actually was," Collen said. "And you can tell them, 'Hey, you saw the right read, you've got to make the right pass.' And we work on those things, that's part of our everyday warm-up. . . . The biggest difference between practice and in the game is speed of the game, the intensity of the game. But we have to be able to translate doing it in practice to converting it in games."
            Trailing by 18 early in the third quarter, Baylor chipped away and made it a 12-point game, 48-36, on a 3-pointer by Asberry and a three-point play by Bickle. But the Cowgirls answered with 10-straight points and closed the period on a 13-2 run to go up 61-38.
            "To me, it's just about being better than we were the last game, playing with a little more energy and effort, being really dialed-in from the first possession defensively," Collen said. "I'm not suggesting we were good offensively, but I think so much of our success is predicated on, do we do a good job defensively and allowing our offense to come along as the game goes on? I just look at it like we have another chance to be a good basketball team."
            Since losing 6-6 senior center Ayoka Lee to a season-ending knee injury, K-State has relied on the hot hand of Oklahoma transfer Gabby Gregory, who ranks second in the conference in scoring (19.7 ppg) and fifth in 3-pointers per game (2.5).
Sophomore guards Serena Sundell (12.4 ppg, 4.9 assists) and Jaelyn Glenn (11.7 ppg, 5.6 rebounds) also average double-digit points for the Wildcats, who are winless on the road (0-6) but 11-3 at home.
            Wednesday's game will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Brian Smoller and Missy Heidrick calling the action.
            Baylor returns home to host No. 22 Iowa State (16-7, 8-5) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Cyclones, tied for third in the league standings with Oklahoma State, defeated 17^th-ranked Texas, 66-61, Monday night in Ames.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Baylor women's basketball team remains on the road this week when it travels to face Kansas State at 6:30 p.m. inside the Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday.

The contest between the Bears (16-8, 7-5 Big 12) and the Wildcats (14-11, 3-9 Big 12) is available for streaming via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. A live radio broadcast is also available for fans on the Varsity Network App or locally on 1660 AM/92.3 FM. Additionally, live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter or live stats.

LAST TIME OUT
Baylor dropped the 77-56 decision at Oklahoma State on Saturday in just its second road loss of the season. Every player that was available for the Bears saw the court, including rookie Kyla Abraham, who made her first appearance in a Big 12 game, contributing four points and a pair of blocks in four minutes off the bench.

The Bears were led offensively by Caitlin Bickle, who turned in her fifth double-double of the year, finishing with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Sarah Andrews reached double figures for the 12-straight game, notching 11 in the outing, while Bella Fontleroy recorded her second-career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

NOT SO LITTLE(PAGE) BUGGS
For the fourth-straight week, and sixth time this season, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was tabbed the Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Monday. With the honor, she is tied for the third-most awarded to a rookie in the league since 2009.

Littlepage-Buggs leads all Division I freshmen in the country in rebounds per game, sitting at 9.3 per contest. Her 11 double-doubles on the year are the second most in the Big 12 behind KU's Taiyanna Jackson. She ranks second in the conference in rebounding in all games, and Big 12-only action. Littlepage-Buggs' seven double-doubles in league games are tied for the second most among Baylor freshmen dating back to the 2009-10 season. Only Brittney Griner, who had eight in Big 12 games as a rookie, has more since that year.

SCOUTING KANSAS STATE AND THE SERIES
Baylor holds the 42-9 advantage in the all-time series with Kansas State. The Bears have won 13 of the last 14 meetings with the Wildcats in Manhattan and are 14-4 all-time on the road.

In the first meeting this season on Jan. 18, the Bears powered past the Wildcats inside the Ferrell Center, 69-48. The 21-point victory marked the ninth time this season the Bears had bested their opponent by at least 20 points. Additionally, it was the second-largest margin of win over a conference opponent behind the 22-point win over TCU to start Big 12 play.

The Wildcats are 11-3 at Bramlage Coliseum this season and have won just one of their last five games. The victory was a 78-77 win over then-No. 12 Iowa State at home. Entering Wednesday's contest, three Wildcats are averaging double figures, led by Gabby Gregory at 19.7 points per contest.

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