No. 18 Baylor Physically Dominated in Dallas, Loses 75-54
DALLAS – Twentieth-ranked Arizona (9-1) definitely added insult to injury, as they dominated No. 18 Baylor (8-3) in the second annual Pac-12 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge at American Airlines Center. Baylor had no answer for the physicality and athleticism that the Wildcats possessed.
Baylor was completely abysmal shooting on the night, as they were 38% from the field and 26% from downtown. Not only could the Bears not shoot, they couldn’t hold on to the ball either. They finished the night with 19 turnovers, of which Arizona converted into 25 points.
The game began as a back-and-forth affair, before Arizona completely swung the momentum and stepped on the gas. Unfortunately for Baylor, the end of the first quarter was just a precursor for a complete meltdown in the second quarter.
With an opportunity to get the last shot of the quarter, Sarah Andrews had the ball stolen at half-court by Arizona’s Shaina Pellington.
Pellington converted the steal into a fast break layup that gave the Wildcats a 19-16 lead over Baylor heading into the second quarter of play.
The Wildcats' length on defense quickly became a problem for Baylor in the second quarter, as they forced the Bears into five straight turnovers on a 10-0 run. Arizona completely frazzled Baylor, as they finished the first half with a 16-2 advantage on points off turnovers, and held the Bears to just 38% from the floor.
Arizona’s 46-31 lead over Baylor at the half was the largest first-half deficit of the season for Baylor. The Bears were able to slow the Wildcats down slightly in the third quarter, as they chipped away their lead with the first balanced offensive attack of the game.
Despite their best efforts — with five different players scoring — Baylor found themselves a bit deflated. Arizona bullied the Bears in the paint with 32 points, while cleaning up on the defensive end of the glass with 29 boards.
Andrews, along with Jaden Owens, were Baylor’s only true source of offense the entire game. Five other Bears would score, but none would crack double figures. Baylor would also play the second half without Aijah Blackwell, who was seeking medical attention following her action in the first half.
Owens started off hot in the first quarter— leading all scorers with 8 points— but went cold in the second quarter. Andrews was the complete opposite, as 10 of her 12 first-half points came in the second quarter.
Andrews finished the night 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Owens would finish the night as the team’s leading scorer behind 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. Rounding out the night scoring for Baylor was Bella Fontleroy (9 points), Caitlin Bickle (7 points), Ja’Mee Asberry (5 points) Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Blackwell (2 points).
The Bears will need to do some soul searching this week as they gear up for their final non-conference game at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday against Long Beach State. Baylor will then open up Big 12 play against TCU in the Ferrell Center on New Year’s Eve.