PROTECTING THE HOME FLOOR
1/8/2026 9:45:00 AM | Women's Basketball
'Road warrior' Bears looking for first Big 12 win at Foster
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – As impressive as it was beating two ranked teams on the road, and developing a reputation as road warriors, Baylor coach Nicki Collen knows the No. 16 Bears (13-3, 2-1) still have to protect their home floor.
"It's good taking on a mantra of road warriors," said Collen, whose team will play the first of back-to-back home games, facing Colorado (11-4, 2-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Foster Pavilion. "But we don't want to do that because we don't protect home court. Neither of those games is going to be easy, and they present different challenges. We just have to rise to the occasion, regardless of the opponent, regardless of the environment and where we are."
Baylor has been tough at home, winning its first eight games at Foster Pavilion this season, before opening conference play with a 61-60 loss to an undefeated Texas Tech team that is one spot below the Bears at No. 17 in the Associated Press poll. The Lady Raiders (17-0, 4-0) took over sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 71-66 comeback win at West Virginia.
"We have a veteran enough team that I think everybody understands there are no off nights in the Big 12," Collen said. "If you want to compete for a championship, you have to look at every game like it's the most important game, because ultimately it is. When we didn't defend home court to start Big 12 play, that puts you in a situation where you've got to make up."
The Bears did just that, coming from 19 points down to defeat Oklahoma State, 77-68, and then beating 10th-ranked Iowa State, 72-70, Sunday afternoon on Taliah Scott's pull-up jumper with 2.9 seconds left in Ames.
"(Associate head coach Tony Greene) made a good point yesterday, like one rebound could have cost us the game (against Iowa State)," said Oklahoma transfer Kiersten Johnson. "It's only going to get harder, it's not going to get easier. Everyone in the Big 12 is good. And then, once you get past that, you're going against the most elite competition (in the NCAA Tournament). I think we're just preparing ourselves for the next level and next steps of the season."
Johnson and senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who sat most of the second half against OSU, both bounced back to play key roles against Iowa State. Johnson was 3-of-3 from 3-point range and added nine rebounds and two blocks, while Littlepage-Buggs recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high-tying 20 rebounds.
"We didn't take it as anything," said Johnson, who is shooting 67% from outside the arc (10-of-15) this season. "The people who were in (at OSU) were giving us that spark. We're going to sit there, and we're going to cheer for our team. Me and Buggs were having fun, probably a little bit too much fun. . . . Just staying positive through everything, because we are a team and we want to see our teammates succeed."
Baylor faces a Colorado team that has won six of its last seven games, including conference wins over Arizona and Cincinnati. Four of the Buffs' five double-figure scorers are newcomers, led by North Texas transfer Desiree Wooten with 11.1 points per game and Rhode Island transfer Anaëlle Dutat with 10.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
"We shot the ball really well a year ago against Colorado," Collen said of an 84-62 road win in Boulder, "but they're longer, they're more athletic. They're very different, other than (Jade Masogayo). And while they're still running Princeton (offense) and they're looking to feed the post and things that coaches have a tendency to do, their team isn't averaging as many threes as they had two players average last year."
Thursday's game will be streamed by ESPN+, with Kyle Youmans and former Baylor basketball standout Jordan Lewis calling the action.
"We should be (confident, with the two road wins), but we shouldn't be blinded by it," redshirt junior center Kyla Abraham said. "These are two really good teams that play really well – Colorado, with their length; and Kansas just took Iowa State to the brim not too long ago, just like we did."
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – As impressive as it was beating two ranked teams on the road, and developing a reputation as road warriors, Baylor coach Nicki Collen knows the No. 16 Bears (13-3, 2-1) still have to protect their home floor.
"It's good taking on a mantra of road warriors," said Collen, whose team will play the first of back-to-back home games, facing Colorado (11-4, 2-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Foster Pavilion. "But we don't want to do that because we don't protect home court. Neither of those games is going to be easy, and they present different challenges. We just have to rise to the occasion, regardless of the opponent, regardless of the environment and where we are."
Baylor has been tough at home, winning its first eight games at Foster Pavilion this season, before opening conference play with a 61-60 loss to an undefeated Texas Tech team that is one spot below the Bears at No. 17 in the Associated Press poll. The Lady Raiders (17-0, 4-0) took over sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 71-66 comeback win at West Virginia.
"We have a veteran enough team that I think everybody understands there are no off nights in the Big 12," Collen said. "If you want to compete for a championship, you have to look at every game like it's the most important game, because ultimately it is. When we didn't defend home court to start Big 12 play, that puts you in a situation where you've got to make up."
The Bears did just that, coming from 19 points down to defeat Oklahoma State, 77-68, and then beating 10th-ranked Iowa State, 72-70, Sunday afternoon on Taliah Scott's pull-up jumper with 2.9 seconds left in Ames.
"(Associate head coach Tony Greene) made a good point yesterday, like one rebound could have cost us the game (against Iowa State)," said Oklahoma transfer Kiersten Johnson. "It's only going to get harder, it's not going to get easier. Everyone in the Big 12 is good. And then, once you get past that, you're going against the most elite competition (in the NCAA Tournament). I think we're just preparing ourselves for the next level and next steps of the season."
Johnson and senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who sat most of the second half against OSU, both bounced back to play key roles against Iowa State. Johnson was 3-of-3 from 3-point range and added nine rebounds and two blocks, while Littlepage-Buggs recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high-tying 20 rebounds.
"We didn't take it as anything," said Johnson, who is shooting 67% from outside the arc (10-of-15) this season. "The people who were in (at OSU) were giving us that spark. We're going to sit there, and we're going to cheer for our team. Me and Buggs were having fun, probably a little bit too much fun. . . . Just staying positive through everything, because we are a team and we want to see our teammates succeed."
Baylor faces a Colorado team that has won six of its last seven games, including conference wins over Arizona and Cincinnati. Four of the Buffs' five double-figure scorers are newcomers, led by North Texas transfer Desiree Wooten with 11.1 points per game and Rhode Island transfer Anaëlle Dutat with 10.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
"We shot the ball really well a year ago against Colorado," Collen said of an 84-62 road win in Boulder, "but they're longer, they're more athletic. They're very different, other than (Jade Masogayo). And while they're still running Princeton (offense) and they're looking to feed the post and things that coaches have a tendency to do, their team isn't averaging as many threes as they had two players average last year."
Thursday's game will be streamed by ESPN+, with Kyle Youmans and former Baylor basketball standout Jordan Lewis calling the action.
"We should be (confident, with the two road wins), but we shouldn't be blinded by it," redshirt junior center Kyla Abraham said. "These are two really good teams that play really well – Colorado, with their length; and Kansas just took Iowa State to the brim not too long ago, just like we did."
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