Baylor Women's Basketball

Smith Leads Bears Past Mountaineers, 75-57

February 12, 2022
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WACO, Texas — The No. 10 Baylor women’s basketball team (19-5, 9-3) topped the West Virginia Mountaineers (11-11, 4-8) 75-57, thanks to an impressive 30 point outing from NaLyssa Smith.

Smith, who also finished with 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, matched her career-high in points for the fifth time overall and the third time this year.

The team as a whole got off to a slow start today, only scoring 29 points in the first half. Most of the offensive issues came down to shot-making really. The WVU defense was solid but not suffocating, and Baylor ended the half 12-33 from the field, 0-5 from deep, and 5-14 from the free-throw line.

Queen Egbo and Smith fought hard in the post scoring 9 and 13 in the half respectively, but no one else scored more than 2 for the Bears before the break.

After the game coach Nicki Collen said that her halftime message to the team emphasized the guards needing to attack more especially coming off of ball screens.

In the second half, they did attack more. Baylor pushed the pace and Jordan Lewis was able to knock down a couple of threes to put more pressure on the Mountaineers.

At first, WVU responded well, but between foul trouble and fatigue, the Bears slowly pulled away. 

Lewis netted 16 of her 18 points in the second half, and Smith hit a dagger of a three with five and a half minutes left to make it clear that Baylor was in control.

From there, the lead stretched to 20 before settling at 18 by the final horn.

Sarah Andrews had an understated yet productive 8 point, 7 assist night despite shooting 0-5 from deep.

Coach Collen added after the game, “We allowed our missed free throws to affect everything else.” She also said that WVU’s physicality bothered the Bears a good bit through the night by playing “hard, not dirty".

Up next for the Bears is a visit from TCU on Wednesday night. That game, a makeup for the postponed early January date, will tip-off at 7 PM CT and will be available on ESPN+.

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Smith Leads Bears Past Mountaineers, 75-57

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