No. 25 Texas clamps Baylor women’s basketball for rare Ferrell Center win

Graduate student guard Ja'Mee Asberry (21) scores a left handed layup on a fast break during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center. Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor

By Michael Haag | Sports Editor

Despite being down by double digits several times in the second half, Baylor women’s basketball was able to cut its deficit to four points with seven minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. But once again, No. 25 University of Texas pulled away and made it hard for head coach Nicki Collen and her team to close the gap.

“They made big plays, they made big stops,” Collen said. “They got offensive rebounds in key moments. We missed some easy ones. We waited too long to wake up.”

Texas, behind five players in double figures, outlasted Baylor 68-55 Sunday afternoon in the Ferrell Center. It marked the first win in the Ferrell Center for UT since 2017.

Prior to last season, the Bears had beaten the Longhorns 13-straight times. Texas (14-6, 5-2 Big 12) has since flipped the script a bit, as it handled Baylor (13-6, 4-3 Big 12) for the second-consecutive game, dating back to the 2022 Big 12 Tournament Championship title game.

Junior guard Sarah Andrews led the Bears with 19 points while graduate student guard Ja’Mee Asberry chipped in 13 of her own. Fifth-year senior forward Caitlin Bickle accounted for eight points, 10 rebounds and also drew eight fouls from the opposition.

Fifth-year senior forward Caitlin Bickle (51) makes a contested jump shot during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center.
Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor
Fifth-year senior forward Caitlin Bickle (51) makes a contested jump shot during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center.
Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor

“That’s a lot,” Collen said of the fouls drawn mark. “But [Bickle] has to have help from her teammates. Caitlin does probably the best job on our team of blocking out, but there are times when she’s guarding someone five, six inches taller than her.”

It was a rough shooting day for the team in general, as the group only connected on 31% (18-58) of its shots.

Andrews hit a pair of threes to help keep the Bears level with the Longhorns through the first quarter, but Texas hoisted a 24-22 halftime lead. It was a back and forth battle in those first 20 minutes, and Baylor had a chance to put its mark on the second half.

Junior guard Jana Van Gytenbeek (4) shoots a right-handed layup during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center.
Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor
Junior guard Jana Van Gytenbeek (4) extends and shoots a right-handed layup during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center.
Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor

The third quarter saw Texas put its imprint on it, as it scored more points (28) than it did in the entire first half.

“The third quarter killed us,” Andrews said.

The Bears scored 22 points of their own in that period, but the squad was never able to fully get over the hump, even though it trimmed its deficit to four early in the fourth. The Longhorns outscored Baylor 10-3 over the final seven minutes, 10 seconds of the game to claim the 68-55 victory.

Collen said the team fought hard, but “not enough.”

“We had moments,” Collen said. “But when you make a shot, you have to get a stop. That’s fight. When you get them to miss a shot, you have to come up with a defensive rebound. That’s fight. When you get out-hustled to the ball when you’re making a run, you can’t do that.”

Junior guard Sarah Andrews (24) drives toward her left during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center.
Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor
Junior guard Sarah Andrews (24) drives toward her left during a conference game against No. 25 University of Texas on Jan. 22, 2023, in the Ferrell Center.
Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor

Andrews agreed that the group needs to fight harder in the future. She said “it starts with our defense.”

“We’re a team where when our defense is clicking, our offense is easy,” Andrews said. “We know we can score the ball but we have to be able to fight through adversity. We got to know that when we’re down by four, it’s OK to be down by four. We got to come together and be a team. It’s about coming through adversity.”

Baylor now has five days off before it faces Texas Tech University on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock. Collen said the lack of effort isn’t due to the team being tired from extensive minutes, but that it’s mental and her squad needs to up its intensity and focus.

“We have to challenge each other when we’re out there, that when we give up a basket or we give up an offensive rebound, they’ve got to challenge each other to not let it happen again,” Collen said.