Welcome back to the Monday Morning Sports Buzz, where the only spheres we believe in are leather-bound. (Sorry, Origen.) Let’s get into it.
March Madness
Baylor women’s basketball got off to an inauspicious start to the NCAA Tournament, as freshman guard Marcayla Johnson tore her ACL in practice just before the opener against No. 11 seed Nebraska. The shorthanded Bears survived the upset bid 67-62 after blowing an 11-point lead in the first half.
The second-round game was another story. After shucking the Cornhuskers, the Bears lost their rematch with No. 3-seeded Duke, 69-46, in a dominating win for the Blue Devils. Baylor had more first-quarter turnovers (nine) than points (eight) and shot 30.2% from the field, including 0-for-14 from deep.
“They didn’t make a lot of mistakes, and we couldn’t shake them,” head coach Nicki Collen said. “I thought we were frantic against their pressure early. Their length bothered us at the rim, their ball pressure was excellent and we were a cat chasing their tail.”
Next up, Collen said the Bears will “go to the portal, like everybody else in America.”
Rivalry renewed — sort of
Baylor softball (20-9, 5-1 Big 12) played a home-and-home series with No. 2 Texas on Friday and Saturday, marking the first time the Longhorns have played in Waco since 2024. The burnt orange won both games in dominant fashion (combined score of 21-2), including an 11-0 run-rule victory at Getterman Stadium.
The Bears have now lost seven straight in the series since sweeping the Longhorns in 2023.
“Does this help us get better in the Big 12?” head coach Glenn Moore said after the game. “You know, I don’t know right now … I’m tired of beating a dead horse about how young we are. We’ve played well enough against good competition to expect better than that, so I do.”
Around the horn
- Men’s basketball got an early recruiting victory when sophomore guard Isaac Williams IV announced he was re-signing for two more seasons. The Bears earned a berth in the College Basketball Crown Tournament, which tips off on April Fool’s Day.
- Track and field star Demario Prince finally found redemption in the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships. After missing the finals by a combined 0.019 seconds in the previous two years, he got over the hump to win bronze on March 14. Read more about his story here.
- Baseball was run-ruled by Kansas State on Tuesday, 13-3, in a rare non-conference matchup between Big 12 teams. The Bears lost a series split against Oklahoma State this weekend.
And it’s another beautiful week for Baylor sports.
Thanks for reading.
— JPose
