“I’m not afraid to say I was really, really offended by the article that came out,” Collen said. “And I didn’t read any of it. … Don’t know what happened. Didn’t read the article. But nothing is withering in Waco. … And we’re going to do it our way. And it’s going to be just as good.”
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Rooted in an underdog mentality, it was seemingly No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball versus the world. Despite trailing by six at halftime, the Bears hit seven of their next nine shots and had No. 1 seed USC on the ropes. However, Baylor missed its first eight shots in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Trojans to stomp back and end the Bears’ run in the Sweet 16 by a score of 74-70 on Saturday at the Moda Center.
“I feel like there’s no pressure on us,” senior guard Sarah Andrews said. “The pressure is on the other team. We’re the underdogs. We have nothing to lose, but we have a lot to gain.”
Following the second-best start to a season in program history (14-0 start through Jan. 6), No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball hit turbulence.. Through a cold streak in which they lost six of their next 10 games, the team stayed positive and rallied back to find itself in the Sweet 16 for the first time under head coach Nicki Collen. Now, the Bears will clash with No. 1 seed USC at 4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Moda Center.
She may be the smallest on the court at times, but 5-foot-7 junior guard Jada Walker had the biggest impact on Sunday. Walker poured in a career-high 28 points — highlighted by a crucial and-one layup with 19 seconds to go — and No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball escaped No. 4 seed Virginia Tech 75-72 in the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.
No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball knocked out No. 12 seed Vanderbilt 80-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night in the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.
The duo was thrown into the fire as freshmen, as they played pivotal roles for a team seeking its 13th-straight Big 12 regular season title. They didn’t expect to have to play so much as underclassmen, but Fontleroy said the 2022-23 season accelerated their progression.
Baylor basketball has been a threat all season, and heading into March Madness, it’ll continue to be one. Once it passes the first weekend, both teams will be ready to make it deep into the tournament.
As exciting as it may have been for both Baylor basketball teams to hear their names called on Selection Sunday, they know there’s no time to celebrate.
Deciding to use her fifth-year of eligibility was a no-brainer for senior guard Sarah Andrews. It was twofold: Get to stay with a Baylor women’s basketball program that she loves and continue to develop with her eyes set on the WNBA.
“My mindset when it comes to helping my team is just to always do it,” Van Gytenbeek said. “I want to be positive, and I want to be trusted by everybody — to know that I’m going to show up and be the same kind of person and do what I need to do for everybody else and always try to be unselfish.”
