By Zach Babajanof-Rustrian | Sports Writer
No. 18 Baylor women’s basketball secured its first home win since Jan. 20, as it knocked down No. 22 West Virginia 65-58 Saturday evening in the Foster Pavilion.
Sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored a team-best 14 points, marking the fourth time in the last five outings she’s had double figures in scoring.
“[Littlepage-Buggs] is … going to show up every day,” head coach Nicki Collen said. “I thought she did a good job of sealing up early against the matchup zone and making some jump shots when they gave it to her.
“But I thought she did a good job taking the ball out of bounds when we had her take it out of bounds, which is not an easy job against this team.”
Littlepage-Buggs had a reunion with West Virginia (20-3, 9-3 Big 12) sophomore guard Jordan Harrison, who used to play middle school basketball with Littlepage-Buggs.
“My coaches have prepared us for this, that and our AU coaches which are also our dads, and they have always told us … we’re friends but not on the courts,” Littlepage-Buggs said. “And we take that very personal and I’m not going to hurt her or anything but you have to get yours and I’m going to get mine. But it’s no friendship out there.”
After the road loss to BYU on Wednesday, sophomore forward Bella Fontleroy said the team was aiming to get its mojo back.
“Honestly, I feel like our spirits are lifted after we won of course, but this week was a week of us all coming together and committing to what we’re going to do to be better,” Fontleroy said. “I feel like we’re trying to get our swag back and Coach Tony [Greene] has said that. And our swag is playing Baylor basketball.”
The Bears (18-5, 7-5 Big 12) were able to maintain possession of the ball as well as limit the Mountaineers on defense. Baylor led after every quarter, and it’ll look to keep this momentum when it plays at No. 24 Oklahoma next.
“[Oklahoma] wants to play really fast and shoot it; they’re going to take the first good shot,” Collen said. “But I think early in the season, they were running their system but not making shots … they just beat you with tempo and beat you with pace and kick it out from three and spread you out.”
The Bears will take on the Sooners on Wednesday at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.
