The 1-3-1: No. 18 Baylor (12-3, 3-0) vs Oklahoma St. (11-4, 1-2)

There were rumblings throughout the offseason that Baylor’s Big 12 dominance could be coming to a halt in 2023. Fast forward, and 18th-ranked Bears (12-3, 3-0) were recognized as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Team of the Week following back-to-back conference road victories over Oklahoma and Kansas.

Baylor will look to remain undefeated in conference play tonight at 7:00 p.m. as they welcome Oklahoma State (11-4, 1-2) to the Ferrell Center. The Cowgirls will enter the game with some momentum, as they delivered head coach Jacie Hoyt her first Big 12 victory over Texas 86-82 on Saturday.

Here is the 1-3-1 on Baylor and Oklahoma State.

One Player:

While the Bears have the more talented roster across the board, one Cowgirl they can’t overlook is Forward Lior Garzon. The junior transfer from Villanova started in 32 games for the Wildcats and was their second-leading scorer with 13.1PPG.

Her addition in Stillwater gives OSU a chance to beat any team on any given night, as she leads the Big 12 in 3-point field-goal percentage at 47.5 percent. Garzon has connected on 23 of her 41 (56.1 percent) of her attempts from beyond the arc during the last seven games, and her shooting percentage ranks seventh nationally.

Three Nuggets:

●      Baylor holds a 50-11 advantage in the all-time series and has won 14 in a row.

●      OSU's last win over the Bears came on Dec. 30, 2015, a 52-45 win in Stillwater.

●      Head coach Nicki Collen has now beaten each of the other nine Big 12 schools in the regular season after the win at No. 17 Oklahoma.

One Quote:

The way Baylor has played as of late, even without everyone available, has rejuvenated the top dog mindset within the locker room. 

Sarah Andrews has emerged as the clear leader of this team, as she finished the week averaging 28.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting 50.0% (18-for-36) from the floor, 47.1% (8-for-17) from 3-point range and 86.7% (13-for-15) from the charity stripe.

Freshman sensation Darianna Littlepage-Buggs played an integral part in the win over Kansas, as she dropped 17 points and grabbed 13 boards for her fifth double-double of the season and Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors.

Head Coach Nicki Collen spoke on the confidence her team is playing with at the moment earlier this week.

 "We think we can beat anyone, but I also think if we don't show up and compete and we're not prepared, we can get beat by anybody in the league," said Collen. Proud but never satisfied, that's the kind of mentality we've got to take.”

 "There's a reason why we won those two games. But if we suddenly feel like we've arrived, it'll turn on us really quick. I think we went up and played like we were underdogs, but we competed like we belonged. And we certainly do. I think you have to seize those moments when you get them."

Watch/Listen:

The contest between the Bears (12-3, 3-0 Big 12) and the Cowgirls (11-4, 1-2 Big 12) is available for streaming via Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and live radio broadcast is also available for fans on the Varsity Network App. Live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter or live stats.