By Ben Everett | Sports Writer
The No. 3-ranked Baylor women’s basketball team defeated Coppin State 100-54 Sunday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.
The Lady Bears (2-0) scored more points in the paint (56) than the Eagles (0-1) scored total.
Junior center Kalani Brown picked up her second double-double in as many games, totaling 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
Sophomore forward Lauren Cox amassed 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists, the second highest single-game assist mark in her career.
Cox said her teammates shotmaking abilities are the reason for her high assist numbers.
“I’ve always seen myself as a pretty good passer,” Cox said. “Especially with me and Kalani. I can just lob it up there and I know she’s going to get it. And those offensive rebounds I get I can kick it out and know those shooters will knock it down.”
The Lady Bears were not shy to feed Brown early, and Coppin State’s only response was to foul the preseason All-American. Brown scored five of the Lady Bears first nine points, including three-of-four makes from the free throw line as Baylor held a 9-2 lead four minutes into the game.
Senior guard Kristy Wallace knocked down back-to-back threes from the wing, and had a another look from downtown with the clock winding down, but could not connect as the Lady Bears took a 27-11 lead to the start of the second quarter.
Sophomore guard Juicy Landrum drained a three to spark an 11-0 run for the Lady Bears to start the second quarter. Freshman guard Didi Richards found Brown underneath the basket for an and-one opportunity as Baylor took a 45-15 lead and forced the Eagles to call a timeout halfway through the second quarter.
Following the timeout, Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey sent in a whole new group, going small with four guards and senior forward Dekeiya Cohen.
The Lady Bears had trouble guarding Coppin State senior guard Genesis Lucas in the second quarter, as Lucas scored eight straight points for the Eagles to cut the Baylor lead to 54-26 going into the half.
Lucas extended her hot streak into the second half, scoring the first seven points of the half for the Eagles, but a 9-0 run by the Lady Bears prompted another timeout by Coppin State as Baylor led 69-33 with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Richards found an open lane and scored on back-to-back drives to the basket to end the third quarter as the Lady Bears took an 85-43 lead into the final frame.
Coppin State center Chance Graham knocked down two three-pointers early in the fourth, but the Lady Bears continued to attack the basket to hold a 92-50 lead with five minutes remaining in the game.
Landrum knocked down her fourth three-pointer in as many attempts to cement the win for the Lady Bears in the fourth quarter.
Mulkey said Landrum, who scored a career-high 12 points, had an impressive performance.
“Juicy Landrum played a very solid game,” Mulkey said. “The minutes that she had and the production that she had were very solid. She’s one of our better perimeter shooters.”
Baylor looks to stay undefeated as they face Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ferrell Center.
