The 1-3-1: No. 18 Baylor WBB vs Incarnate Word

After opening up the season with a dominant 88-50 victory over Lamar on Monday night, No. 18 Baylor (1-0) will return to the court tonight against in-state foe Incarnate Word (1-0). The Cardinals defeated Our Lady of the Lake University 63-56 in their season opener Monday night in the McDermott Center.

Here is the 1-3-1 on IWU.

One Player:

One area where Baylor looked vulnerable against Lamar on Monday night was in the paint. Lamar was able to hang with Baylor on the glass, where they finished the night with 32 rebounds against the Bears.

IWU will look to challenge Baylor in the paint with UTSA grad transfer Yuliyana Valcheva. During their season opener, Valcheva paved the way with a double-double that included 12 rebounds to go along with her 12 points. She was one of three players for IWU that finished the night in double figures, joining Destiny Terrell (16) and Aliyah Collins (15).

Three Nuggets:

●      Thursday’s meeting with Incarnate Word marks the first time in program history the two teams will face off against each other.

●      IWU is coming off a record-setting year that included being crowned Southland Conference Champions and completing in March Madness.

●      This game will mark the second of three straight against opponents from the state of Texas to start the season for Baylor.

One Concern:

The Bears have yet to take to the court with their entire roster available, and that appears to be the case once again tonight. Baylor was without the trio of Caitlin Bickle, Erika Porter and Dre’Una Edwards in their exhibition, then Jana Van Gytenbeek joined them to miss the opener against Lamar with a bruised shoulder.

During the first half against Lamar, Ja’Mee Asberry dove for a loose ball and went to the bench with an apparent arm injury. Asberry did return in the second half with a band around her elbow, but she will miss tonight’s game against IWU.

“I think we could have a couple of players back tonight, but Asberry will be out with the elbow,” said head coach Nicki Collen. “It’s almost like a get two back and lose one situation. We’ve just been so banged up and just had seven players suit up for practice yesterday.”

Conclusion:

Baylor must play disciplined basketball and avoid getting into foul trouble if they want to avoid getting upset. The talent favors the Bears, but they can’t afford mental mistakes with the lack of depth at the moment. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. tonight in the Ferrell Center and will be aired on ESPN+. 

As always, get the latest on Baylor Women’s Basketball from SicEm365.com and get live coverage on Twitter by following me @_GarrettRoss.