Baylor
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Kansas
WBB Opens Big 12 Play at Kansas on Saturday
12/20/2024 10:08:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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NR/21 BAYLOR BEARS (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
NR/21 BAYLOR (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (10-1, 0-0 Big 12) Dec. 21, 2024 • 4:00 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN+ TALENT: Dave Stewart (pxp), Wayne Simien (analyst) LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via FOX Sports Radio 93.9FM in Central Texas and worldwide at centexsportsfan.com. Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Lori Fogleman (analyst) Baylor Social Media:    |
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KANSAS JAYHAWKS (10-1, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Lawrence, Kan. Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Brandon Schneider (Wayland Baptist, 1995) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Nicki Collen didn't have to go back and look at the film from the "train wreck" of last year's 87-66 loss at Kansas that knocked the Baylor women from the ranks of the unbeaten.
"It's very imprinted in my memory," said Collen, whose Bears (10-2) will open Big 12 Conference play this year with another road trip to Lawrence, Kan., to face the Jayhawks (10-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
"For anyone that played in that game last year up there, there should be some motivation, for sure. But I think in general, it's about, what are our goals? This is the first step in that goal. It's their first step in that goal. I don't think their goals are different than our goals. I think it's a battle of two really good teams."
Two of the eight current Big 12 teams that were in last year's NCAA Tournament, Baylor and Kansas were picked third and eighth, respectively, in the Big 12 coaches' preseason poll and are both riding six-game winning streaks coming into the league opener.
In last year's game, Baylor was up by nine midway through the second quarter, but the Bears hit just one of their last 11 shots in the half as the Jayhawks went on an extended 16-0 run and then dominated the third quarter, 26-10.
"Thanks, good memories," Collen said, when asked about the game. "A year ago, we were absolutely rolling against them. They went zone, and we got three or four good shots in a row and missed. And then, we didn't do a good job to finish out that half. They got back in the game. And man, that third quarter, we were a train wreck."
One of the better-balanced teams in the country, the Bears have five active players averaging double-figure points. Junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is averaging a double-double with 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, followed by Colorado transfer Aaronette Vonleh (14.2 ppg) and guards Jada Walker (12.2 ppg, 5.6 assists), Sarah Andrews (11.7 ppg, 5.6 assists) and Yaya Felder (11.2 ppg).
Despite splitting time with Walker at the point, Andrews is on pace to easily break her previous high of 4.5 assists per game (2021-22).
"The more she plays the point, the more the ball is in her hands, the more assists she's going to get," Collen said. "I think her assists really elevate when she's in with Yaya and (Waiata Jennings), with Yaya and Bella (Fontleroy), she's got shooters on both sides of her."
On the flip side, Kansas leans heavily on the duo of 6-0 sophomore guard S'Mya Nichols (21.1 ppg, 4.9 assists) and 6-3 junior Elle Evans (13.4 ppg).
"S'Mya is leading the league in scoring, S'Mya is leading the league in free throws made and attempted, gets to the line more than anybody in the country," Collen said. "They're going to play in the middle of the floor with her and put pressure downhill on you. She's going to throw her body into you and try to draw fouls. And she's really good at it."
While Baylor returns four of its starters from last year's game against Kansas, Jennings, Vonleh and 6-1 freshman Kayla Nelms are all playing in their first Big 12 game. This game could also be the Baylor debut of Florida transfer Aliyah Matharu, who averaged 19.0 points per game last year.
"I'm really excited," said Jennings, who scored a season-high 11 points in Wednesday's 97-34 win over Utah Tech. "I think leading into the Kansas game, we really wanted to come out strong, and it give us confidence to move forward and get our feet wet. I think we did that. Our defense was extremely dominant."
Saturday's game will be streamed by ESPN+, with Dave Stewart and former Kansas men's basketball All-American Wayne Simien calling the action.
Game notes
• Baylor opens conference play at Kansas on Saturday afternoon, facing the Jayhawks for the seventh time under head coach Nicki Collen.
• The 2024-25 season holds the seventh conference opener on the road in the last 10 years and is the first time in the 43-year span of WBB in the NCAA that the Bears' conference opener is before Christmas.
• Saturday's contest is the 50th matchup between Baylor and Kansas, dating back to the 1978 season. As charter members of the Big 12, the two teams have played at least once per season since 1996-97.
• BU completed a 10-2 proper non-conference slate, going perfect at home in the first season of non-con play at Foster Pavilion, with losses coming at Oregon and against Indiana in The Bahamas. Before the postseason, one final non-conference game will be contested against UCLA in the inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic on Jan. 20 in Newark, N.J.
• Baylor holds the all-time record against the Jayhawks, 40-9, entering the 50th contest between the two programs.
• BU is the victor of 20 of the last 21 face-offs, with KU taking the win in Lawrence last year. Before the 87-77 win by the Jayhawks last January, Kansas had not defeated the Bears since Jan. 19, 2014.
• KU is 3-1 against power four opponents in non-con, defeating Penn State, Auburn and Pitt with their lone loss of the season to Iowa, 71-58.
• Preseason All-Big 12 selection S'Mya Nichols paces Kansas at 21.1 points per game while leading rebounder Regan Williams averages 6.4 a game.
• The Bears are 18-6 in Big 12 Conference openers since the 2000-21 season, 8-6 in that span in lid-lifters on the road.
• Last season, No. 10 BU opened conference play on the road at Texas with an 85-79 win over the No. 5 Longhorns, Baylor's 14th-consecutive win in the Lone Star State's capital.
• Baylor is unscathed when playing KU in a conference opener, 2-0.
• Baylor went 8-0 at home in non-conference play, completing the second-straight and third overall undefeated non-con home schedule in the fourth year of the Nicki Collen era.
• BU holds a 19-game win streak in regular season non-con home games, last dropping a Nov. 20, 2022 contest against then-No.19 Maryland, 73-68, at the Ferrell Center.
• 2024-25 held the first non-conference schedule at the new Foster Pavilion, after opening the facility for conference play in 2023-24.
• Junior Darianna Littlepage-Buggs averages a double-double (15.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg) through 12 games this season with 10 double-digit performances, three with 20+.
• Against UNLV, Littlepage-Buggs became the eighth Bear to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game with 21 points and 20 rebounds. She joins Debbie Polk, Maggie Davis Stinnett, Danielle Crockrom, Sophia Young-Malcolm, Brittney Griner, Kalani Brown and NaLyssa Smith, Smith who most recently had a 20/20 game against Iowa State in the 2021-22 season.
• She's set new career-best marks this season in rebounds (20 vs UNLV), assists (five vs New Orleans), steals (five vs Utah Tech), 3-pointers (two vs UIW), and free throws made (10 vs ETAMU). Buggs has also tied or set her career best marks in attempts for all three shot categories.
• A force at the glass, Littlepage-Buggs ranks top-10 nationally in rebounds and rebounds per game and is one of 18 players with at least six double-doubles (through games on Dec. 16).
• BU put a big win together over the Utah Tech Trailblazers, 97-34.
• The Bears hosted 6,149, the second-largest women's basketball crowd at Foster Pavilion, for Future Bears Day.
• Baylor forced the lowest-scoring game in Utah Tech history, besting the previous record set of 35 points at Oregon (11/14/22).
• BU held Utah Tech to 10:02 of play without a field goal between 7:05 in the first quarter and 7:03 in the second. During that time, the only point came from one appearance at the free throw line.
• Yaya Felder paced the Bears' scoring efforts for the third time this season with 18, highlighted by four beyond the arc. She picked up four rebounds with six assists in 27 minutes.
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