Scott, Van Gytenbeek Lead No. 15 Baylor to Road Win at Cincinnati, 76-70

CINCINNATI – No. 15 Baylor women’s basketball (20-4, 9-2) rebounded with a 76-70 road victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats (8-15, 3-8) on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena.

Guard Taliah Scott led the Bears with 26 points (7-19 FG) and four assists. Point guard Jana Van Gytenbeek had arguably her best game of the season, tallying 19 points (5-9 3FG) and four assists with zero turnovers.

Baylor’s biggest advantage in the contest was from beyond the arc, as the Bears outshot Cincinnati 12-of-28 (43%) to 6-of-18 (33%). Baylor struggled around the rim (8-23) but was able to win on the offensive glass, 13-to-9, and totaled 14 second-chance points. The Bears also had a great showing at the charity stripe, going 18-for-22 at the free throw line.

Outside of two early 3-pointers from Van Gytenbeek, the Bears struggled immensely across the rest of the first quarter on offense, shooting 2-of-13 from the field with five turnovers.

Baylor bounced back in the second quarter and regained the lead, following an 18-7 stretch where Bella Fontleroy and Scott combined to drill four-straight shots from beyond the arc. The Bears limited the turnovers (3) in the period and were 5-of-9 from deep and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, giving Baylor a narrow 36-33 lead going into the halftime locker room.

The Bears opened the third quarter 1-of-9 from the field, opening the door for Cincinnati to get back into the contest. The Bearcats took advantage of Baylor’s offensive issues and went on an 11-0 run with Cincinnati guard Joya Crawford, a 17% 3-point shooter on the season, nailing two shots from deep in the period.

The Bears rebounded from the sluggish start to the quarter, thanks to some timely 3-pointers from Van Gytenbeek and Scott, and closed on a 10-3 run to retake the lead, 56-54, going into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Scott, as well as forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, carried the Bears down the stretch, combining for 14 of the team’s 20 points to secure the victory. Littlepage-Buggs finished the contest with 10 points and 12 boards.

The Bears (20-4, 9-2) will return to Waco to face Arizona State (18-5, 5-5) at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Foster Pavilion. The game will be televised on FS1.