By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
No. 19 Baylor women’s basketball left Hardin-Simmons University in shambles after a 120-41 victory in an exhibition matchup on Friday night in the Ferrell Center. The Bears shot 65% from the floor, and all 13 women who saw the floor were able to find a bucket, with five scoring double figures. On defense, the green and gold forced 26 turnovers and allowed a measly 19% field goal percentage from the visiting team.
Head coach Nicki Collen played her entire roster and was rewarded with rich depth and highlight reel plays from the starters to the bench unit. While each player scored, they also gave energy on the defensive side of the ball and created a spark.
“The most stressful part of the night for me was just getting everybody minutes,” Collen said. “I love our depth, but ultimately, this wasn’t one of those games where people didn’t play well. So there wasn’t necessarily a lot of separation, but what I saw was growth, and that’s what I really wanted to see.”
Sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs led the team with 21 points on 10-12 shooting in only 18 minutes. To go along with the scoring, the forward brought down six rebounds and added a pair of steals.
Littlepage-Buggs wasn’t the only sophomore who found success. Sophomore forwards Bella Fontleroy and Kyla Abraham each came off the bench and played important minutes for the Bears. Fontleroy was a perfect 6-6 from the floor en route to 17 points, three assists, two assists, a steal and a block. Abraham only scored six points but led the team with seven rebounds and added two more blocks to the scorecard.
“I just thought Buggs played with great pace, and Bella came in and made shots and played good defense. I thought Kyla gave us a great lift when she checked into the game in the second quarter,” Collen said. “So it was fun to see those sophomores really rise up.”
While the sophomores rose to the occasion, it was the first time graduate student forward Dre’Una Edwards touched the court while wearing the green and gold. In her first appearance, Edwards racked up 12 points on 5-11 shooting as well as bringing down five boards.
“I was not more excited the whole game than when Dre scored her first two points. Jana (Van Gytenbeek) and I got up, and we were just like, ‘She’s here. She’s with us,’” Fontleroy said. “But seriously, the amount of work that we’ve put in to get to this point — I know it’s an exhibition, but I feel like everybody got to showcase a little bit of everything. I don’t know if you could tell when I was jumping up and down, but I’m very excited.”
Baylor started fast as junior guard Jada Walker quickly set the tone by totaling five assists and four steals in the first quarter. Her unselfish play helped the Bears to a 28-10 lead by the end of the quarter as three of her assists fell into the lap of Edwards.
“I started her tonight in this game because I wanted her to set the tone with her ball pressure, and I thought that was a bigger key than her passing was, just creating a defensive energy with ball pressure,” Collen said.
The green and gold kept the pressure on in the second quarter, outsourcing the Cowgirls 28-8. Graduate student Aijha Blackwell led the charge in the quarter with six points, while scoring threat senior guard Sarah Andrews focused on being unselfish by dishing out three assists.
“We talked a lot at halftime about, ‘We can’t play the scoreboard,’” Collen said. “All of you are getting opportunities, and it’s about making the most of it. You can celebrate your successes, but the reality is, the best way to be successful is to keep competing.”
The Bears did just that, as Andrews opened the third quarter with five consecutive to open what would become a 25-0 lead. Not only was Baylor piling on the points, but the Bears kept the visitors off the scoreboard for the first seven and a half minutes of the second half. Littlepage-Buggs scored 12 points as the Bears shot 81% from the floor in the quarter and outscored the Cowgirls 36-11, establishing a 92-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Senior forward Madison Bartley was the unlikely hero in the final quarter, leading the team with 10 points in the final 10 minutes. The Bears hit the century mark when senior guard Catarina Ferreira drilled a free throw with 5:19 left to play. Baylor finished the quarter on a 22-3 run and closed out the evening with a convincing 120-41 win.
“[Collen] brought in a lot of talent and a lot of people who love to win,” Fontleroy said. “When we get together, we’re going to get the job done.”
The Bears will tip off the regular season at 7 p.m. Monday against Southern University at the Ferrell Center.
