The 1-3-1: No. 23 Baylor (11-3, 2-0) at No. 21 Kansas (12-1, 2-0)

After heading north of the Red River to seek revenge on an Oklahoma squad that swept them last season, No. 23 Baylor (11-3, 2-0) took care of the 17th-ranked Sooners 81-70 in its first true road victory of the season. The Bears will be tested once again this evening, as they head to Lawrence to face a red-hot Kansas (12-1, 2-0) team that ranks 21st in the nation.

Here is the 1-3-1 on the Bears and Jayhawks.

One Key:

Baylor will have to play arguably their best defensive game of the season in order to leave Allen Fieldhouse victorious. The Jayhawks returned four starters from 2021- 22, including Preseason All-Big 12 selections Holly Kersgieter, Zakiyah Franklin and Taiyanna Jackson.

Jackson is extremely lethal, as she enters the Baylor game having recorded four-consecutive double-doubles and nine for the season. She has recorded at least 18 rebounds in each of the past three games and she’s averaging 16.0 points and 18.5 points per game in conference play.

Franklin is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. She became the 31st player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone as a Jayhawk and she has moved to 24th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,173 career points.

Kersgieter is third on the team in both scoring (15.4) and rebounding (6.3), while leading the team with 25 made three-pointers after matching her career-high with five made threes against Texas Tech.

Three Nuggets:

●      Saturday’s matchup will mark the first women’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse between two ranked teams since Kansas lost to then-No. 1 Baylor, 82-60, in January 2013.

●      Baylor leads the all-time series with Kansas, 37-8, and has won the last 17 meetings dating back to the 2013-14 season. The last loss by the Bears was a 76-60 decision in Lawrence. BU is 14-5 in road games against the Jayhawks.

●      Kansas is looking for the first win over Baylor since claiming a 76-60 victory over No. 7 Baylor in Lawrence on January 19, 2014.

One Player:

Sarah Andrews is beginning to emerge as the leader of this Baylor team and her personality and love for the game has become infectious and rejuvenated the Bears heading into Big 12 play. 

Against the Sooners, Andrews dropped a career-high 30-points, while connecting on 5-of-12 from downtown along with four rebounds, three assists. On the season she is averaging 14.4 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 34.4% from behind the arc.

Head Coach Nicki Collen has been impressed with Andrews’ ability to be impactful in multiple facets of the game, but feels like her role from game to game is something that she will need to feel out on the court.

“Sarah has to feel every game out, because there are times when the best thing she can do is get a paint touch for us,” said Collen. “When you look at the Oklahoma game, I think by nature of their zone and the things that they were doing, and the ball being in her hands late in shot clocks, there's always going to be that ability to be creative.”

"Being a good offensive team comes down to executing and getting the ball to the most-open person."

How to Watch:

The contest between the Bears and the Jayhawks is available for streaming via Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and live in-game updates will also be provided via Twitter or live stats.