By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Whether you witnessed Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew get ejected for the first time in his career or scampered over to watch some Baylor men’s tennis, a lot transpired over the weekend.
Here’s everything in Baylor Athletics you may have missed:
Baylor track and field’s sprinters highlight final day of Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational
Baylor track and field saw a bevy of individual wins as it closed out the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational on Saturday evening at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track in Lincoln, Neb.
“I am very happy with the group this weekend,” head coach Michael Ford said. “I thought we finally got people healthy and were able to get good things accomplished, especially on the sprints side of things. Makayla Long had a great meet in the weight throw and shot put. She did really well.
“And then you have the winners, with Alexis Brown who competed for first in the long jump and ran well in the 60 with [Michaela] Francois. Then there’s Tiriah [Kelley] and Mariah Ayers who took the 1-2 finish in the 200, and then we did it again with De’montray [Callis] and Kam [Jackson] on the men’s side. Just really impressed with that group.”
Baylor has another road meet at the Tiger Paw Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Clemson, S.C.
No. 1 Baylor acro & tumbling opens year with dominant win over Texas Lutheran
No. 1 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling defeated Texas Lutheran in its season opener 275.475-165.290 on Saturday afternoon in the Memorial Gym in Seguin.
Earning the win against Texas Lutheran, Baylor extended its win streak to 28 meets in a row, which began in 2021.
The Bears (1-0) now look toward their home opener against No. 11 Mary Hardin-Baylor, which is set for Sunday in the Ferrell Center.
No. 24 Baylor men’s tennis bests Jacksonville State, Nebraska in doubleheader
No. 24 Baylor men’s tennis picked up a pair of wins on Saturday, as it defeated Jacksonville State 6-1 in the morning and wrapped up the day with a 7-0 win over Nebraska, all taking place in the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.
“It feels like we’re a talented group with some names that have been around a while, but we really haven’t been in tough situations that much,” head coach Michael Woodson said. “And last year was kind of weird; even the sophomores didn’t have some of these environments that they need right now.
“It feels like everything is so new for these guys, which is fun, but it also keeps us on our toes as coaches. These guys really love being around each other, and they don’t care who’s out on the court. … Our goals extend beyond what we’re doing right now. We want to win championships, and I think this team can do it.”
The Bears (6-1) will stick around to host Tulsa on Sunday and USC on Feb. 12 in the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.
In 704 career games at the helm, No. 18 Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew had never been ejected. That changed in game No. 705 as Drew was awarded his second technical foul for stepping out of the coach’s box and asking for clarification on a previous call — clarification he never received.
“I don’t think I got explanations all game long,” Drew said. “And it’ll all be broken down. It’ll all be sent into the league. Mack [Rhoades] will comment on the officials. But we have the best basketball league in the country. And Curtis [Shaw, Big 12’s coordinator of officials] has a really tough job. And we expect him to do it.”
Despite the ejection, the Bears (16-5, 5-3 Big 12) escaped with a 70-68 win over No. 12 Iowa State on Saturday night in the Foster Pavilion.
Baylor will cap off the two-game homestand on Tuesday night against No. 15 Texas Tech (16-5, 5-3 Big 12). Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. in the Foster Pavilion.
Baylor women’s tennis drops road contest to No. 12 Washington 4-2
Baylor women’s tennis fell to No. 21 Washington 4-2 on Sunday at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.
The Huskies took the doubles point and won three singles matches to secure the overall victory.
The Bears (2-3) have over a week off, as they won’t get back on the court until they face Ole Miss on Feb. 16 in Oxford, Miss.
No. 13 Baylor women’s basketball dusts Houston 80-63 in shot-making showcase
HOUSTON — Even the table-setter plays a role in the feast.
Junior guard Jada Walker laid the tablecloth down for No. 18 Baylor women’s basketball, as the Bears made quick work of Houston 83-60 Sunday afternoon in the Fertitta Center.
“One of the things I was talking to her about is, there were times when she attacks so well for herself, but learning to be a better table-setter,” head coach Nicki Collen said. “I was trying to explain to her like, ‘Hey, when you get by that first level, you had a defender on the ball. You have a defender on Sarah [Andrews] up with you, so if you get by yours, it’s three on two.’
Baylor (17-4, 6-4 Big 12) will be back on the road when it faces BYU at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday in Provo, Utah.
Baylor women’s golf sees rain cancel Therese Hession Regional Challenge
The final round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge — which was scheduled for Monday — was canceled after five inches of rain overnight in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
The Bears completed the week with a 0-1-2 record and were led by junior Sera Hasegawa, who went 3-0 and never faced a deficit in her individual matches.
Head coach Jay Goble said the team showed more fight on Sunday to get to the final round.
“It was nice to win the tiebreak to advance to the finals of the B bracket against Arizona,” Goble said. “Sera played another great match today. Her consistent game plays very well in match play, and I am very proud of the work she has been putting in recently.”
Baylor now looks ahead to the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, which is set for March 4-6 at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. All three rounds that weekend will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel, marking the only all-women’s regular season collegiate event to be put on the big screen.
