No. 18 Baylor blows by Lamar 88-50 in season opener

WACO, Texas — After a slow start to the game, No. 18 Baylor (1-0) blew past Lamar (0-1) in the season opener at the Ferrell Center on Monday night 88-50. The Bears used a barrage of three-points shots to put the game away in the closing minutes of the game, led by freshman phenom Bella Fontleroy. 

Fontleroy (17 points, 8 rebounds) connected on back-to-back shots from downtown to cap off a 12-0 run that gave the Bears an 85-48 lead with 1:33 remaining in the game. Her success from behind the arch carried over Jaden Ownes and Catarina Ferreira who both hit from downtown in the final :90 of the game.

“Early in the game we were settling for three’s, but once we started attacking the rim and dribbling around and hitting layups, that’s when we started to push the lead out,” said head coach Nicki Collen. “Once we got a comfortable lead, we were able to hit the three’s at the end like we were at the park playing pickup. If you can get yourself a layup, then the deep ball will fall.”

Ownes (11 points, 12 assists) finished the night with a career high 12 assists and her first career double-double after coming off the bench to start the game. Collen knew Ownes needed one more bucket to reach the milestone late in the game, and gave her the green light to make it happen.

“I told her to find a way to get the shot. Find a way for your teammates to screen for you and when you find a sliver of an opening throw that thing up,” said Collen. “As well as she played tonight, I wanted her to get that double-double.”

Baylor was able to force five turnovers in 2:42 in the middle of the second quarter to create some separation, but Lamar wouldn’t go quietly. The Bears emerged from the locker room with a different intensity after halftime, led by Aijah Blackwell. 

Blackwell (17 points, 4 rebounds) began to punish Lamar in the paint, which opened shots up for Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs. Blackwell’s final shot of the game came from downtown to give the Bears a comfortable 71-44 lead with just under 7:00 left in the game.

After generating the majority of their scoring off turnovers and transition buckets in the exhibition against Southwest Baptist, those same opportunities didn’t present themselves often in the first half against Lamar. The Bears forced just six turnovers before halftime on Monday, while turning the ball over ten times themselves.

The Cardinals attacked the paint early and often in the first quarter, while taking an 8-6 lead over Baylor following a 6-0 run. Baylor held a 7-2 lead before the run, as Catarina Ferreira (7 points, 2 assits) came away with a blocked shot that resulted in an easy layup for Littlepage-Buggs. 

Ferreira and Blackwell helped set the tone at the beginning of the second quarter on back-to-back buckets in the paint, which Lamar followed up with a turnover out of bounds. Unfortunately, Ferreira would take a seat on the bench on the following possession with her third foul of the game.

The fouls for the Bears were a glaring issue in the first half, even though some were questionable. Baylor had 12 fouls at the end of the first half, including four different players with two apiece.

“I think after we were able to calm down and talk with Coach we just realized that we just needed to play our game,” said Owens. “We needed to not worry about the calls and just realize that we are fine and this is something just getting in our heads, and we bounced back mentally.”

Baylor closed the game on a dominating 26-9 fourth quarter to secure the victory. The Bears will be back in action on Thursday night in the Ferrell Center, as they welcome in Incarnate Word for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.