The 1-3-1: No. 21 Baylor (5-2) vs HCU (3-3)
After taking their talents to the Gulf Coast Showcase, No. 21 Baylor (5-2) returns to the Ferrell Center for a Sunday afternoon showdown with their fourth in-state opponent HCU (3-3). As we inch closer to the 2:00 p.m. tip-off, here is the 1-3-1 on today’s matchup between the Bears and Huskies.
One Key:
While Baylor is clearly the heavy favorite in this game, the Bears must use this as an opportunity to get better on the boards. Head coach Nicki Collen wasn’t pleased with her team's rebounding effort coming out of the Gulf Coast Showcase, so look for a noticeable improvement against HCU.
Not only was Collen displeased, senior forward Caitlin Bickle addressed the rebounding woes earlier this week as well.
"I think the biggest thing for us this week has been toughness, rebounding, being able to finish games," said Bickle. “I don't think we had any trouble on the offensive end. The big thing is just bringing that offensive intensity to the defensive end."
Three Nuggets:
- Baylor is 3-0 all-time against the Huskies with all three victories occurring in the Ferrell Center—scoring 100+ points in all three outings against HCU.
- For the 358th straight week, the Bears have been included in the AP Top 25 Poll. The streak marks the second-longest behind UConn’s 547 consecutive weeks.
- The Huskies’ game against Baylor marks the third top-25 opponent they will face to start the 2022-23 slate — 22 Nebraska and #15 LSU.
One Factor:
Baylor must be able to avoid allowing HCU’s Julija Vujakovic to get in rhythm. The senior guard is the leading scorer for the Huskies averaging 13.2PPG. Against Nebraska, she accounted for three rebounds and two assists to go along with 11 points — against LSU she finished with three blocks and three steals while scoring 18 points.
As always, get the latest on Baylor Women’s Basketball from SicEm365.com.