No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball suffered a Round of 32 upset on its home court for the second time in the Nicki Collen era as the fifth-seeded Ole Miss Rebels dominated on the offensive glass and forced 21 turnovers en route to a 69-63 win Sunday at the Foster Pavilion.
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Projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick Flagg (18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) and Tyrese Proctor (25 points, 7-for-8 on 3-pointers) starred as the Blue Devils blew by the Bears 89-66.
Looking to build on their Sweet 16 appearance a year ago, which ended in a four-point loss to the top-seeded USC Trojans, the Bears feel confident they can achieve a shot to advance to the Elite Eight again.
After a bitter loss to No. 1 TCU in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball walked onto the court ready for a deep NCAA Tournament run starting against No. 13 Grand Canyon in what head coach Nicki Collen called a “potentially bracket-busting game.”
Behind senior center Aaronette Vonleh’s fifth double-double, No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball took down No. 13 seed Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon at Foster Pavilion.
The Bears dominated the offensive glass, 15-7, in the first-round victory. They’ll advance to play Duke on Sunday.
The fourth-seeded Bears (27-7) will open their tournament run against No. 13 seed Grand Canyon, a squad riding a 30-game winning streak, at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Foster Pavilion. Friday will mark the first matchup between the two teams with the longest active winning streak in Division I on the line for the Antelopes (32-2).
Led by 5-foot-10 point guard Josh Hubbard, head coach Chris Jans’ double screen-heavy attack is balanced and dangerous.
Whether junior guard Waiata Jennings is sitting on the bench, standing at the scorer’s table, or playing tight defense, “Waiz” (sounds like ‘wise’) has a smile on her face.
Heading into the Big Dance, Wright leads the team in assists per game (4.3) and is third on the team in points per game (11.3). Wright holds the program record for assists as a freshman with 143 and counting. He also set the freshman record for most assists in a single game, dishing out 13 in a 94-69 win over Norfolk State on Dec. 11.
In her first season with No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball and her last in college, senior center Aaronette Vonleh stole the show during the weeks leading up to March Madness. With the help of head coach Nicki Collen and her teammates, Vonleh averaged a career-best 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and will declare for the WNBA Draft following the semester.
After missing over a month of action due to a right knee injury, No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball was prepared to field questions regarding the status of junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs heading into March Madness. But the Bears had an ace up their sleeve.
After leading Miami to the Final Four in 2023, graduate forward Norchad Omier lit up the box score in his lone season with No. 9 Baylor men’s basketball, climbing the all-time career leaderboards in college basketball.
Reaching the program’s 21st consecutive tournament appearance, graduate guard Sarah Andrews and senior guard Jada Walker leaned on leadership and experience to put No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball in a position to succeed in March.
Early on No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball junior forward Bella Fontleroy’s career head coach Nicki Collen quickly identified her unique defensive poise. From taking charges to blocking shots Fontleroy set out at the beginning of the year to strengthen her defensive game and better understand opponent tendencies.
The top-ranked recruit in Baylor history will almost certainly become the program’s highest NBA draft pick ever come June. But before he hears his name called, he’ll lead the Bears in their sixth straight NCAA Tournament.
From Selection Sunday to the NCAA Track and Field Indoor Championship, Baylor Athletics had little time to rest. Here’s everything you may have missed over the one-week break.
The fourth-seeded Bears (27-7, 15-3 Big 12) will open the 2025 NCAA Tournament at 2:30 p.m. Friday against No. 13 seed Grand Canyon (32-2, 16-0 WAC) at Foster Pavilion.
The Bears jumped up a seed line after a strong finish to the season. They’ll take on Chris Jans’ Bulldogs (21-12, 8-10) Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina.