By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Senior midfielder Aryanna Jimison’s taste in shots consists strictly of ones that come from outside the box, but against Oral Roberts on Sunday she delivered the dagger for the Bears from inside it.
In the 80th minute of a tied game, sophomore midfielder Olivia Hess dribbled the ball into the corner and sent a high cross into the box. Jimison left her feet, flying in the air and delivering a goal off her head, putting No. 17 Baylor in front 2-1.
The Bears (7-1-0) rode that lead to the end, winning 2-1 against the Golden Eagles (6-1-2).
Both teams’ offenses were on point to start the first half.
Baylor and Oral Roberts had multiple opportunities to strike first in the match, combining for 11 shots in the first 20 minutes. Neither team could deliver the final blow, despite the high shot count.
Fifth-year goalkeeper Azul Alvarez and Alyson Sebban had their work cut out for them early in the half, combining for seven saves, keeping a clean sheet in the first 25 minutes.
Both teams came out with differing play styles after the hydration break.
The Golden Eagles favored possession, stringing passes together to get up the field, while the Bears relied on their speed and quick strikes to put pressure on Oral Roberts. Both squads were unable to put one away.
The Bears snuck away with a goal just before halftime.
Hess lined up for a corner kick. The lefty sent in a line drive that freshman forward Grace White jumped and headed into the box. Baylor capped off its offense-heavy first half with a 1-0 lead.
After a half filled with heavy offense, the second half was the exact opposite.
The Bears shifted into a more defensive style of play with the lead and one of the top goalkeepers in Alvarez. Baylor forced Oral Roberts to string short passes together to create opportunities instead of long passes up the field.
The Golden Eagles couldn’t respond to the Baylor defense, only putting up one shot in 20 minutes of play to the Bears’ zero.
Things took a sour turn for Baylor in the 79th minute.
A foul on senior midfielder Kaitlin Swann gave Oral Roberts a free kick from the top of the box. Golden Eagles’ Brianna Castleberry lined the kick up and sent a screamer into the top left of the goal, tying the game up at one.
The Bears defense fell back on its heels once more after Jimison’s go-ahead goal.
The Golden Eagles sent a cross in and put a shot on goal. A diving Alvarez saved the day for the Bears, keeping them in front by one. Alvarez finished with five saves, her second-most all season.
Baylor picked up its fifth consecutive win, finishing non-conference play with a 7-1-0 record.
The Bears will begin their conference schedule with their biggest challenge yet. They are set to face off against No. 8 West Virginia at 6 p.m. Friday at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.
