The 1-3-1: Baylor (19-10, 10-7) vs West Virginia (18-10, 9-8)
After earning their fifth top-25 win of the season on Monday, defeating No. 12 Texas on the road 63-54, Baylor (19-10, 10-7) will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. against West Virginia (18-10, 9-8). The Bears will be honoring Caitlin Bickle and Ja’Mee Asberry prior to the game, which will also be a white-out.
The senior duo spoke on Friday about the emotions of the moment and what their favorite memories were during their tenure at Baylor.
Ja’Mee Asberry:
“I had a different path than Caitlin, but I’m just happy that I made it this far without giving up,” said Asberry. “As far as a favorite memory goes, it was probably winning the Big 12 Championship because that was something that wouldn’t have happened at Oklahoma State.”
Caitlin Bickle:
“Five years feels like a lifetime, it’s just really weird,” said Bickle. “Being a part of a National Championship team was definitely a highlight, that was a pretty surreal moment.”
Here is the 1-3-1 on Baylor and West Virginia.
One Player:
The Mountaineers are led by fifth-year guard Madisen Smith, who put up 17 points against Baylor during the first meeting in Morgantown. Smith has put together back-to-back 20-point performances for West Virginia, including 22 points in their last outing against Oklahoma State, where the Mountaineers came away victorious 71-67.
Smith (13.4) is one of two West Virginia players averaging double figures this season, joining JJ Quinerly (14.4).
Three Nuggets:
- Baylor holds the 22-4 advantage in the all-time series, despite suffering the 74-65 loss in Morgantown on Jan. 15.
- West Virginia ranks first in the conference in 3-point percentage defense (27.6%) and second in scoring defense (61.3).
- The Bears are just one victory away from securing 20 wins this season. Baylor has won 20-plus games in 22-straight seasons, which is the second-longest active streak among Division I programs.
One Quote:
Head coach Nicki Collen had a lot of praise for West Virginia during Friday’s press conference ahead of the rematch with the Mountaineers.
“I still think West Virginia is at their best when they get three or four double-figure scorers,” said Collen. “You know, they're a team that during their wins they’re plus one on the boards, and during their losses, they're minus 15. That's about as drastic as a difference that you're going to see analytically between wins and losses.”
Watch/Listen:
For fans unable to attend, the game will be streamed via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. A live radio broadcast is also available for fans on the Varsity Network App or locally on 1660 AM/92.3 FM. Additionally, live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter or live stats.