By Aidan O’Connor | Sports Writer
Riding a conference-best nine-game winning streak, No. 17 Baylor women’s basketball is rolling into a rematch with No. 10 TCU. With the regular season title on the line, the Bears are looking to secure the top spot in the Big 12 when they tip off at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Foster Pavilion.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been as proud of a team,” head coach Nicki Collen said following a 79-62 win over No. 14 Kansas State on Monday. “This is my fourth year at Baylor, and I thought it was a really solid performance by us. In particular, when they had that run early in the third, and the crowd got involved, and we just found a way to bounce back and make plays.”
Since their last loss on Jan. 25 to TCU (27-3, 15-2 Big 12 ), the Bears (25-5, 15-2 Big 12) have rattled off nine straight wins despite late-season injury woes. During the run, the team lost its leading scorer and rebounder, junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, to a knee injury in a 66-60 win over Texas Tech. Littlepage-Buggs remains day-to-day, and in her absence, senior center Aaronette Vonleh and guard Yaya Felder have stepped up.
The injury bug bit again when junior forward Bella Fontleroy left the game against the Wildcats after a full-body collision. And with two veteran players inactive, Vonleh led the charge with a season-high 24 points during Baylor’s win over Kansas State.
“We knew this was gonna be a really, really tough stretch for us, and even with an injury to Buggs, the injury to Fontleroy today, we’ve just kept finding a way,” Collen said. “That group is really, really confident right now, and they’re playing really well together.”
The Bears used their first loss to the Horned Frogs since 1990 as a wake-up call. Now, back at home with the regular season Big 12 title on the line, Baylor has a chance to extend its winning streak to 10 and re-establish its dominance against TCU and the Big 12.
“We got to make free throws,” Collen said following the 80-75 loss to the Horned Frogs on Jan. 26. “That’s what we have to do to get over the hump. We’ve got to make our free throws.”
Throughout the season, the green and gold have shot 66.4% from the free-throw line, and Collen pointed to the 11-for-17 mark during the first meeting between the teams as the difference maker. With Littlepage-Buggs and Fontleroy still uncertain for Sunday, the Bears plan to focus on what they can control — particularly at the charity stripe.
With the top spot in the Big 12 on the line, Baylor looks to take revenge against the Horned Frogs at 5:30 p.m. Sunday inside the Foster Pavilion.
