Sunday, March 3
Waco, Texas
11 AM
Baylor
vs
Oklahoma State
No. 21 WBB Hosts Oklahoma State in Regular-Season Finale
3/2/2024 4:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
A win by the Bears would grant BU the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Championship
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Their journeys, in some ways similar and different in others, Baylor seniors Aijha Blackwell and Dre'Una Edwards are closing in on the end of collegiate careers that have included four different schools, adversity on and off the court and memories that will last a lifetime.
"I just think about everything that I've been through, how hard it was, how much I sacrificed, but also how beneficial it was and how much joy," said Edwards (11.9 ppg, 6.4 rebounds), who's only played one season at Baylor after previous stops at Utah and Kentucky. "I got to meet a lot of people and do a lot of things that only basketball can take you there."
No. 21 Baylor (22-6, 11-6) will honor its seniors before Sunday's 11 a.m. game at the Foster Pavilion against Oklahoma State (14-14, 7-10). Along with Blackwell (8.3 ppg, 8.1 rebounds) and Edwards, the roster includes fourth-year seniors Sarah Andrews (11.2 ppg, 3.9 assists), Jana Van Gytenbeek (4.5 ppg), Madison Bartley and Catarina Ferreira.
When Baylor coach Nicki Collen was asked whether Andrews would come back, she said, "I'm going to let Sarah tell you guys that."
"I think part of the emotion for seniors today is that we create such a beautiful little next egg for them," Collen said. "Why would anyone want to leave? Why are student-athletes here four, five, six, seven years these days? Because college is pretty good to them. That's why a lot of it is hard when it comes to the end. It's like, what's next? That's probably scary for all students."
Blackwell, who spent three years at Missouri before transferring to Baylor before last season, was particularly emotional during Friday's media session.
"It was extremely bittersweet. I was crying this morning," Blackwell said. "I don't even want to talk, it's too much. All the blood, sweat and tears you pour into being great and trying to be the best college athlete you can, all the practices behind the scenes, I'm thinking about that. All the late nights in the gym. You can't get that back."
While Edwards made NCAA Tournament appearances with Kentucky in 2021 and '22, one of Blackwell's objectives in coming to Baylor was to make it to postseason. She got injured early last season and wasn't able to play with the Bears during their two NCAA Tournament games.
"I think they came here to prioritize winning," Collen said of Blackwell and Edwards. "Aijha has still never played in an NCAA Tournament. And I think that's still a big thing for her here. It's year five, and all the individual success she had at Missouri, she never played in an NCAA Tournament. So, I think that's going to be really, really special for her, and probably really emotional."
Edwards, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at Utah in 2019, said coming to Baylor "made me such a better person."
"I think coming here, I don't want to say I was lost, but I was definitely trying to find my way," she said. "I was going through a lot mentally. Coming here made me a better person off the court. Especially last year, knowing that I couldn't play, I learned about myself. Only being able to play for a year, it's been bittersweet. It's been a lot of great moments here. And I've grown so much individually. I can't think Baylor enough, honestly."
Riding a four-game winning streak that started with a 61-32 blowout of Texas Tech on the day when former Baylor All-American Brittney Griner's jersey was retired, the Bears can finish in a three-way tie for fourth with 24th-ranked West Virginia (23-6, 12-6) and Iowa State (18-10, 12-6) and nail down the No. 5 seed for the Big 12 tournament that starts Thursday in Kansas City.
"I think that best basketball game is still yet to be played," Collen said, "but I'm seeing a lot of the team that was rolling in November. Our practices in Cincinnati were as good as any practices we've had since October. Their energy is different, their camaraderie is different, their pace was different."
The winning streak coincided with a change in the starting lineup, when sophomore forward Bella Fontleroy replaced Edwards. While Edwards has averaged 10.8 points per game off the bench, Fontleroy (9.8 ppg, 5.0 rebounds) haven't seen her numbers change that much.
Although she's still coming off the bench, one of the biggest differences has been the play of Van Gytenbeek, who has averaged 11.2 points while shooting 39% from 3-point range (9-of-23).
"I don't know if Jana's been the catalyst. You don't want to mark one particular thing," Collen said. "But I do think her ability to shoot the ball, her pace, her ability to play with the ball in her hands or off the ball . . . she puts pressure and pace just by being relentless. When we secure a rebound, she's not leaking early, she's just running harder than the person next to her."
If Baylor does earn the No. 5 seed for the Big 12 Tournament, the Bears would have a first-round bye and play the 8 p.m. game Friday against the winner of a first-round game between the Nos. 11 and 14 seeds, Cincinnati and Houston.
"We had to adjust some things and get back to the drawing board," Edwards said, "but now I feel like we're back to ourselves and we're playing Baylor basketball again. It's super exciting, because it's the best time to be playing Baylor basketball in March."
Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Brenda VanLengen and Andrea Lloyd calling the action.
WACO, Texas – The No. 21 Baylor women's basketball team closes the regular season on Sunday when it hosts Oklahoma State.
Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. CT and airs nationally on ESPN 2 with Brenda VanLengen and Andrea Lloyd on the call. A live radio broadcast will be available on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM) and live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter and live stats.
The program's seniors will be recognized in a pregame ceremony and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 10:30 a.m.
STARTING FIVE
Baylor leads the all-time series against the Cowgirls, 49-13, and the Bears are 26-2 in Waco. Sunday's meeting marks the fifth and final two-game series for the Bears this season. Baylor swept the series against Houston and West Virginia while splitting with Kansas and Texas.
Oklahoma State swept the two-game series last season, putting up 70-plus points in both contests. Prior to the pair of losses last season, Baylor won 13-straight games against the Cowgirls. The Bears have won 28 of the last 30 dating back to the 2009-10 campaign.
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
Their journeys, in some ways similar and different in others, Baylor seniors Aijha Blackwell and Dre'Una Edwards are closing in on the end of collegiate careers that have included four different schools, adversity on and off the court and memories that will last a lifetime.
"I just think about everything that I've been through, how hard it was, how much I sacrificed, but also how beneficial it was and how much joy," said Edwards (11.9 ppg, 6.4 rebounds), who's only played one season at Baylor after previous stops at Utah and Kentucky. "I got to meet a lot of people and do a lot of things that only basketball can take you there."
No. 21 Baylor (22-6, 11-6) will honor its seniors before Sunday's 11 a.m. game at the Foster Pavilion against Oklahoma State (14-14, 7-10). Along with Blackwell (8.3 ppg, 8.1 rebounds) and Edwards, the roster includes fourth-year seniors Sarah Andrews (11.2 ppg, 3.9 assists), Jana Van Gytenbeek (4.5 ppg), Madison Bartley and Catarina Ferreira.
When Baylor coach Nicki Collen was asked whether Andrews would come back, she said, "I'm going to let Sarah tell you guys that."
"I think part of the emotion for seniors today is that we create such a beautiful little next egg for them," Collen said. "Why would anyone want to leave? Why are student-athletes here four, five, six, seven years these days? Because college is pretty good to them. That's why a lot of it is hard when it comes to the end. It's like, what's next? That's probably scary for all students."
Blackwell, who spent three years at Missouri before transferring to Baylor before last season, was particularly emotional during Friday's media session.
"It was extremely bittersweet. I was crying this morning," Blackwell said. "I don't even want to talk, it's too much. All the blood, sweat and tears you pour into being great and trying to be the best college athlete you can, all the practices behind the scenes, I'm thinking about that. All the late nights in the gym. You can't get that back."
While Edwards made NCAA Tournament appearances with Kentucky in 2021 and '22, one of Blackwell's objectives in coming to Baylor was to make it to postseason. She got injured early last season and wasn't able to play with the Bears during their two NCAA Tournament games.
"I think they came here to prioritize winning," Collen said of Blackwell and Edwards. "Aijha has still never played in an NCAA Tournament. And I think that's still a big thing for her here. It's year five, and all the individual success she had at Missouri, she never played in an NCAA Tournament. So, I think that's going to be really, really special for her, and probably really emotional."
Edwards, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at Utah in 2019, said coming to Baylor "made me such a better person."
"I think coming here, I don't want to say I was lost, but I was definitely trying to find my way," she said. "I was going through a lot mentally. Coming here made me a better person off the court. Especially last year, knowing that I couldn't play, I learned about myself. Only being able to play for a year, it's been bittersweet. It's been a lot of great moments here. And I've grown so much individually. I can't think Baylor enough, honestly."
Riding a four-game winning streak that started with a 61-32 blowout of Texas Tech on the day when former Baylor All-American Brittney Griner's jersey was retired, the Bears can finish in a three-way tie for fourth with 24th-ranked West Virginia (23-6, 12-6) and Iowa State (18-10, 12-6) and nail down the No. 5 seed for the Big 12 tournament that starts Thursday in Kansas City.
"I think that best basketball game is still yet to be played," Collen said, "but I'm seeing a lot of the team that was rolling in November. Our practices in Cincinnati were as good as any practices we've had since October. Their energy is different, their camaraderie is different, their pace was different."
The winning streak coincided with a change in the starting lineup, when sophomore forward Bella Fontleroy replaced Edwards. While Edwards has averaged 10.8 points per game off the bench, Fontleroy (9.8 ppg, 5.0 rebounds) haven't seen her numbers change that much.
Although she's still coming off the bench, one of the biggest differences has been the play of Van Gytenbeek, who has averaged 11.2 points while shooting 39% from 3-point range (9-of-23).
"I don't know if Jana's been the catalyst. You don't want to mark one particular thing," Collen said. "But I do think her ability to shoot the ball, her pace, her ability to play with the ball in her hands or off the ball . . . she puts pressure and pace just by being relentless. When we secure a rebound, she's not leaking early, she's just running harder than the person next to her."
If Baylor does earn the No. 5 seed for the Big 12 Tournament, the Bears would have a first-round bye and play the 8 p.m. game Friday against the winner of a first-round game between the Nos. 11 and 14 seeds, Cincinnati and Houston.
"We had to adjust some things and get back to the drawing board," Edwards said, "but now I feel like we're back to ourselves and we're playing Baylor basketball again. It's super exciting, because it's the best time to be playing Baylor basketball in March."
Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Brenda VanLengen and Andrea Lloyd calling the action.
WACO, Texas – The No. 21 Baylor women's basketball team closes the regular season on Sunday when it hosts Oklahoma State.
Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. CT and airs nationally on ESPN 2 with Brenda VanLengen and Andrea Lloyd on the call. A live radio broadcast will be available on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM) and live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter and live stats.
The program's seniors will be recognized in a pregame ceremony and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 10:30 a.m.
STARTING FIVE
- Sunday's nationally televised broadcast marks the eighth time the Bears will be featured on the big screen this season. The Bears are 5-2 in nationally televised games in 2023-24.
- In Baylor's win at Cincinnati on Tuesday, the Bears shot over 40% from the field for the fourth-straight game. Baylor is 10-1 in league play, and 19-1 overall, when shooting at least 40% from the floor.
- The Bears have held their opponent to below 20% shooting from behind the 3-point arc for three-straight games. Baylor ranks eighth in the country, and first in the Big 12, in three-point percentage defense (25.7).
- In her first 46 games as a Bear, Jana Van Gytenbeek turned in just three double-figure scoring performances, and in her last seven games, she has finished in double figures five times, including three-straight headed into Sunday.
- A win over Oklahoma State on Sunday grants Baylor the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. Iowa State earns the four seed after a win at home against Cincinnati on Saturday as the Cyclones have the head-to-head advantage over the Bears.
Baylor leads the all-time series against the Cowgirls, 49-13, and the Bears are 26-2 in Waco. Sunday's meeting marks the fifth and final two-game series for the Bears this season. Baylor swept the series against Houston and West Virginia while splitting with Kansas and Texas.
Oklahoma State swept the two-game series last season, putting up 70-plus points in both contests. Prior to the pair of losses last season, Baylor won 13-straight games against the Cowgirls. The Bears have won 28 of the last 30 dating back to the 2009-10 campaign.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor women's basketball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorWBB.
- BaylorBears.com -
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballBaylor Basketball (W): Darriana Littlepage-Buggs (26 PTS) vs. Le Moyne | November 16, 2025
Sunday, November 16
Baylor Basketball (W): Bella Fontleroy (21 PTS) vs. Le Moyne | November 16, 2025
Sunday, November 16
Baylor Basketball (W): Taliah Scott (22 PTS) vs. Le Moyne | November 16, 2025
Sunday, November 16
Baylor Basketball (W): Condensed Game vs. Le Moyne | November 16, 2025
Sunday, November 16
