By Marissa Essenburg | Sports Writer
Lady Lions, no Tigers — and surely the Bears, oh my. No. 14 Baylor wasted no time proving who owned the jungle, overpowering Southeastern Louisiana in a 112-47, wire-to-wire blowout win Wednesday night inside Foster Pavilion.
From tipoff to the final horn, Baylor (8-1) controlled nearly every possession, keeping the pressure high as shots fell, rebounds piled up and blocks stacked. The Bears scored in waves and dominated the glass, never allowing Southeastern Louisiana (2-4) to find any rhythm.
“We started out hot, which brought us good energy, and I think we needed that to show what we can do,” senior forward Kiersten Johnson said. “We were just out there having fun, and being able to play together is the most important thing for us.”
If you only tuned in for the first 10 minutes, the next 30 felt like the same script on repeat. After the Lady Lions scored in the first minute, Baylor ripped off a 34-4 run and didn’t allow another field goal until the final minute of the period.
Southeastern Louisiana was overwhelmed by Baylor’s high-pressure man defense and couldn’t find a spark on the other end. Behind 80% shooting from deep and 88% shooting overall in the quarter, the Bears looked as smooth as they have all season, closing the first frame up 36-7 and flooding the floor with confidence.
Still, the Bears knew there was more beneath the surface than just what the scoreboard said.
“Even after wins like this, we have personal goals and team goals that we try to hit every single game, and some of those we didn’t hit today,” Senior point guard Jana Van Gytenbeek said. “We do have things to focus on even though we played well. We’re not perfect, and every game is an opportunity to grow.”
It was a complete, balanced night across the roster, with every member of head coach Nicki Collen’s squad contributing. Baylor leaned on the double-double duo of Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Taliah Scott, while Van Gytenbeek dished out 12 assists, Bella Fontleroy added 20 points, and Yuting Deng and Marcayla Johnson combined for 25 points off the bench.
“It’s fun for a coach to play their whole team, especially because of the work they put in, they deserve to be rewarded,” Collen said. “But not if they don’t come out with the same mentality as the starters, and that’s what I really challenged them on.”
The stat sheet told one story — 49 rebounds, 36 assists, nine blocks and 47 made field goals for a staggering 112 points — but the way the Bears celebrated together told another.
“The game of basketball is supposed to be fun, so it’s always good to see them all have success, to see Marcayla hit a three, to see them celebrate each other,” Collen said.
Baylor returns to Foster Pavilion on Sunday for the fourth game of their five-game homestand, hosting UTSA (3-4) at 2 p.m.
