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Baylor Women's Basketball

The 1-3-1: Baylor (13-5, 4-2) vs No. 25 Texas (13-6, 4-2)

January 21, 2023
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After getting back in the win column in deciding fashion on Wednesday night, Baylor (13-5, 4-2) will look to knock off No. 25 Texas (13-6, 4-2) at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday in the Ferrell Center. In an attempt to spread the word to “Fill the Ferrell”, Jaden Owens and Caitlin Bickle took to campus to spread the word.

“Jaden and I had an opportunity to go around campus and promote a previous game with a dunk contest, so this time we went around playing pig — or in this case bear — with some students which was really fun,” said Bickle. “It’s really important for our fellow students to come out and show support. The men obviously get a strong showing from the student section, and we’re looking for that same energy on Sunday.”

Head coach Nicki Collen also expressed the importance of having the fans show up in full force to help create the type of home-court advantage that she and the team have faced on the road this season.

“I just hope they come to the game. You know, I think it's great to say you want to beat Texas and this game is a big deal, but if you really want us to beat them, then we need you in the building cheering us on,” said Collen. “I think you're talking about two really good basketball teams and the edge could go to the team with home-court advantage.”

“We need that and we're seeing across the board Michigan's had back-to-back games where they've had 10,000 people in the building, you're seeing these huge crowds in women's basketball and we need to continue to grow ours.”

Fans in attendance can also stop by the marketing tables on the concourse to get an exclusive “Greater Than” T-shirt while supplies last.

So as you get set to show up and show out, here is the 1-3-1 on the Bears vs Horns.


One Player:

Sophomore sensation Rori Harmon has been the catalyst for Texas’ success this season. The Houston native missed the first five games of the season with an injury, but since her return, the Horns are 11-3. 

Harmon secured her spot in the record books earlier this season against TCU, as she became just the fourth player in Texas history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. During Big 12 play this season, Harmon is averaging 11.5 points, 9.2 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals.


Three Nuggets:

●      Last season, the Bears topped Texas twice in three days during the month of February, before the Longhorns responded with a 67-58 victory in the Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City.

●      Texas holds the 59-48 advantage in the all-time series with Baylor, as the teams are knotted at 24 wins apiece in Waco

●      The Longhorns are forcing 22.0 turnovers per game. In the last nine games, they hold a 224-81 advantage over opponents in points off turnovers.


One Concern:

While it’s been nice to see Aijah Blackwell back on the court in a limited capacity during the past two games, Baylor has still yet to play a game this season with everyone available. Texas is very talented and if they force the Bears into relying on their bench, then things could be very difficult.

Baylor has found itself in difficult situations when forced into foul trouble, which is something that the Longhorns are fully aware of. As for Blackwell getting more minutes on the court, it’s a day-by-day situation that the team will have to navigate.

“There are no specific expectations or timetable when it comes to Aijah, which is the biggest challenge,” said Collen. “I think she has grace with herself. This idea that I've never been injured before. I've never come back from an injury before and I can't get overly frustrated with myself, and I am just trying to guard her against this idea that there will come a point in time when she is tired of not being herself.”

“I think the more repetitions she gets the more she's going to get better. But then you know we're trying to protect long term and, and so it's just a tough situation,” continued Collen, “I just want her to keep kind of giving herself that grace that she's gonna bring something to us. She is gonna bring something, but I don't know what it's gonna look like from game to game.”


Watch/Listen

The contest between the Bears and Horns can be seen nationally on ESPN2, while the live radio broadcast is also available for fans on the Varsity Network App. Live in-game updates will also be provided via Twitter or live stats.

 

 

Discussion from...

The 1-3-1: Baylor (13-5, 4-2) vs No. 25 Texas (13-6, 4-2)

11,621 Views | 88 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Olympia3
whitetrash
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Total complete suckage.
BearFan33
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Not a good time to get sloppy with the ball and not make lay ups
edible_waffles
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late game blunders are gonna cost us again...
BearFan33
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Our team needs consistency. Embarrassing loss to a below average Texas team. We are good enough to beat bad teams but struggle against decent teams
BearFan33
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Good news I guess is conf race is wide open
lookin4awin
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Yes, in prior years we would have beat this Texas team by 25 points! And then we would have started the second half.
Baylorkid
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Goodbye to 12th straight big 12 championships!
Olympia3
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Baylorkid said:

Olympia3 said:

historian said:

Too many missed shots, not enough rebounding.


Not a good team design. I was very excited for the hire. The more I watch and how she recruited and designed the team I'm thinking we are in real trouble.

The crap about missing two transfers. Neither are posts. Neither are athletic wings. Both are real good players. But, basically knew only one could play this year.

The continuation of not being ranked will continue. Thanks Coach.

I don't want to hear following a legend crap. Noelle Ivey followed a legend. They are doing great.

To be fair, noelle Ivey didn't have a good team till this year, her 3rd year! But I do agree with you


Good only this year? They were sweet 16 in her non Covid year. Her first real year. Notre Dane was good, real good in the sane timeframe of our coach. Sorry. Nicki is not very good. And it is proving out.
lookin4awin
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Why good news? I enjoyed the 12 straight.
Bear3
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Notre Dame has not been highly ranked until this year.
True Grit
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Ugly game… laid a huge egg. I thought this game would be a turning point for our season, but once again, I was wrong about this team.
Baylorkid
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Olympia3 said:

Baylorkid said:

Olympia3 said:

historian said:

Too many missed shots, not enough rebounding.


Not a good team design. I was very excited for the hire. The more I watch and how she recruited and designed the team I'm thinking we are in real trouble.

The crap about missing two transfers. Neither are posts. Neither are athletic wings. Both are real good players. But, basically knew only one could play this year.

The continuation of not being ranked will continue. Thanks Coach.

I don't want to hear following a legend crap. Noelle Ivey followed a legend. They are doing great.

To be fair, noelle Ivey didn't have a good team till this year, her 3rd year! But I do agree with you


Good only this year? They were sweet 16 in her non Covid year. Her first real year. Notre Dane was good, real good in the sane timeframe of our coach. Sorry. Nicki is not very good. And it is proving out.

I guess! I hope Nicki gets better but I don't know
edible_waffles
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BearFan33 said:

Our team needs consistency. Embarrassing loss to a below average Texas team. We are good enough to beat bad teams but struggle against decent teams
To be very fair, we are also a below-average team by our standards.

This game was really decided in the 3rd quarter. Defense traded baskets and our paint presence just wasn't there.

A Big 12 title is still a possibility, but this loss was a major setback
Baylorkid
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Bear3 said:

Yes Noelle Ivy followed a legend and Notre Dame was not good and unranked her first 2 years !

That's what I said lol
hitmanmw
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This would be a completely different team with Blackwell and Edwards. Without them it's gonna be a struggle. Such a shame…
Olympia3
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Baylorkid said:

Bear3 said:

Yes Noelle Ivy followed a legend and Notre Dame was not good and unranked her first 2 years !

That's what I said lol


100 percent wrong. In her second season she WAS ranked. She lost in the sweet 16. Her first year was bad. But, Muffet didn't leave 2 top 10 wnba draft picks for her when she left like Mulkey. Our top 3 players currently are all mulkey players. Ivy got her top players in. Her recruits are a post who isn't a post and has a hard time shooting outside a layup and a sixth player. Bella will be good in the future we all can see that.

Sorry. Our coach is a failure by along ways compared to Ivy following another legend. Mack screwed up. Coach C is a super nice person. But, watching this crap show I feel she is wrong for Baylor.
Bear3
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Yep. When you lose your best player (Aijah) and another starter (Dre) the team is going to feel it. If Harmon is out for several games, Texas will also experience the effects of this.
Olympia3
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I agree. But, compliance should have figured out one couldn't play this year. She shouldn't have factored Olin. Aijah is a huge blow.

But, there is still zero real posts on the team. That's on Coach. All I heard last year wait till she gets her players. Well, the two freshman and the juco transfer are hers. She's missing Aijah. But still no post even with her.
BBWCBear
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I'm sorry, there's no way a realistic fan cannot compare this coach's team to the previous coach's team. Continually sloppy horrible passing, sloppy defensive, discipline, poor shot selection. Most of the mistakes, under previous staff, the player would be headed to the bench from the court immediately after their error. KM isn't coming back, so don't start that. I'll just reference KM's FIRST YEAR'S team with Little talent, but were very good fundamentally. This on the floor ain't it.
I hope BU is paying someone, specifically, to care for those eleven trophies so they won't tarnish, discolor, and become dusty.

"BU is a Destination Job"…………
Olympia3
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BBWCBear said:

I'm sorry, there's no way a realistic fan cannot compare this coach's team to the previous coach's team. Continually sloppy horrible passing, sloppy defensive, discipline, poor shot selection. Most of the mistakes, under previous staff, the player would be headed to the bench from the court immediately after their error. KM isn't coming back, so don't start that. I'll just reference KM's FIRST YEAR'S team with Little talent, but were very good fundamentally. This on the floor ain't it.
I hope BU is paying someone, specifically, to care for those eleven trophies so they won't tarnish, discolor, and become dusty.

"BU is a Destination Job"…………



I agree. This falls on coaching. Or lack there of.

This is and should be a destination job. The problem is Mack screwed up.
74Bear
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"You get what you pay for"
I'm ok with NC but there needs to be serious staff changes. But MR may not pay there either.
whitetrash
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Somebody needs to ask MR the same question Liberace used to ask the audience to open his show, when he would come onstage in some outlandish outfit:

"Do you like this? I hope so, because you paid for it."
Bear3
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Freshman Kyla Abraham (6-4) is a post but has hardly played. Nicki does have a 6-7 post player coming in next fall.

Apparently most post players take awhile to develop in college. I know that Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown played very little as freshmen and did not look great when they did play. Hopefully Kyla will be ready to play more next year.

As you said, losing Ajiah was major blow. She averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game her last season at Missouri.

I will say again that Nicki Collen needs a couple of additional years before you can determine if she is wrong coach.
Baylorkid
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Bear3 said:

Freshman Kyla Abraham (6-4) is a post but has hardly played. Nicki does have a 6-7 post player coming in next fall.

Apparently most post players take awhile to develop in college. I know that Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown played very little as freshmen and did not look great when they did play. Hopefully Kyla will be ready to play more next year.

As you said, losing Ajiah was major blow. She averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game her last season at Missouri.

I will say again that Nicki Collen needs a couple of additional years before you can determine if she is wrong coach.

Kalani and Lauren played a lot for freshmen! Lauren was 6th man her freshmen year
Olympia3
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Bear3 said:

Freshman Kyla Abraham (6-4) is a post but has hardly played. Nicki does have a 6-7 post player coming in next fall.

Apparently most post players take awhile to develop in college. I know that Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown played very little as freshmen and did not look great when they did play. Hopefully Kyla will be ready to play more next year.

As you said, losing Ajiah was major blow. She averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game her last season at Missouri.

I will say again that Nicki Collen needs a couple of additional years before you can determine if she is wrong coach.


I understand this. But, disagree. Sometimes you see the wrong person is here move on. Sometimes a pro coach is a pro coach. College there is more overall coaching and mentoring, and looks like coaching players and in game adjustments are NOT her strong points. Will she learn? Msybe, but how far do we drop while she does. She already in 1 year cratered this team. 1 year. Oh well, we are stuck with her. Make the best of it.
74Bear
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Good nucleus with Littlepage-Bugs, Fontleroy, Abraham, 6'7" Letycia Vasconcelos and M Johnson in 2025. But need several more and big portal help
chorne68
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Baylor was not left with much with the coaching change. Only one recruit who decomitted. With little time. She did a great job bringing in some very good players. Two of the best either did not play or played very little. I will wait to see another year before I diss our coach.
Baylorkid
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chorne68 said:

Baylor was not left with much with the coaching change. Only one recruit who decomitted. With little time. She did a great job bringing in some very good players. Two of the best either did not play or played very little. I will wait to see another year before I diss our coach.

Here we go again! Baylor had good players when Kim left! Not going to keep beating this horse
Malbec
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Does anybody here actually know HCNC's coaching record and history? It doesn't seem so the way so many incorrect references are made to it.
canoso
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Last night I watched the condensed version of LSU WBB's latest win over Arkansas. Looked really familiar. Now 19-0. That is all.
canoso
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Last night I watched the condensed version of LSU WBB's latest win over Arkansas. Looked really familiar. Now 19-0. That is all.
RSBear
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Lousy coaching in this gam. Lack of rebounding hurt bad.
RSBear
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Font Leroy and Little page Bugs need to be on the food together in my opinion.
RSBear
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Spell check
BearFan33
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lookin4awin said:

Why good news? I enjoyed the 12 straight.


The good news is despite this loss we can still get a b12 championship.
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