No. 13 Baylor Falls to No. 12 Texas 67-55 in Final Conference Matchup

The No. 13 Baylor Bears fell to No. 12 Texas 67-55 in their final matchup as conference foes. 

First Quarter

Texas won the tip but the Dre’una Edwards quickly stole the ball away from Texas’ Taylor Jones. Jada Walker took the ball to the rim two possessions later for the first points of the game. Texas didn’t score until the 8:00 mark in the first quarter when a foul by Sarah Andrews sent Madison Booker to the line where she went 2-2. The Longhorns took a 4-2 lead over the Bears via a layup by Aaliyah Moore. She followed it up with a  missed and-one opportunity where she made the short range jumper but couldn’t sink it from the charity stripe. Extending the Longhorn’s run to 8-0, Booker sunk a jumper to put the Horns up 8-2. A foul by Edwards sent Booker back to the line where she went 1-2, Lonhorns up 9-2. 

At the under 5:00 media timeout, 4:23 on the clock: 

• Bears haven’t scored in 4:16
• Longhorns on a 9-0 run over 3:37
• BU has fouled five times, UT has yet to foul
• Edwards is on the bench with two fouls, she left at 5:04
• Baylor has five turnovers to Texas’ two

Coming out of the timeout Moore put up two more for the Longhorns before Andrews broke the scoring drought for the Bears with a much needed three-pointer. The Longhorns scoring run ended at 11-0. Booker and Buggs each put up two for their respective teams bringing the score to 13-7 in favor of Texas. Bella Fontleroy drew a big foul in Longhorn territory to give the Bears possession. Aijha Blackwell capitalized on the momentum and sunk one from outside the arc to bring Baylor within three. Fontleroy drew another foul in Longhorn territory, this possession not convert to anything of substance but the Longhorns waste the rebounded ball. Yaya Felder joins the scorers with a comfy and-one courtesy of Deyona Gaston’s foul, tie ball game 13-13! Both teams fail to score on their following two possessions. After the Bears threw the ball out of bounds the Longhorns were kind enough to pass the rock to Baylor’s Andrews who threw it ahead to Felder for an easy layup bringing the Bears back out in front with a score of 15-13. A pair of missed jumpers from Fontleroy sends us to the buzzer and we’re headed to the second quarter. 

After 10:00:

• Bears escape the quarter with a 15-13 lead 
• Longhorns led most of the quarter after an 11-0 scoring run
• Since the media timeout the Bears only fouled once, the Longhorns foulded five times in the same span
• Booker and Moore are the only scorers for UT with seven and six points, respectively
• The Bears have committed seven turnovers to the Longhorns six
• Each team recorded eight rebounds in the first
•  

Second Quarter

Fontleroy starts off teh second quarter with a three from the top of the court extending the Bears lead to five, 18-13. Blackwell takes a nasty spill after an offensive rebounds and seems to be favoring her left leg and massaging her calf, she is quickly subbed out but returns one possession later. The one possession she missed was a second-chance jumper from Denae Fritz which forced Texas to take a timeout with 7:03 on the clock to try and break up the Bears’ momentum. Coming out of Texas’ timeout they finally learned how to score with someone new, Gaston puts up a short-range jumper. Fontleroy heads to the bench after picking up her second foul and a flop warning. Moore strikes from under the hoop for two, making it a one-point-game; Bears lead 20-19. After exactly two minutes of neither team scoring, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs sinks a mid-range jumper and picks up the foul to maintain possession; Fritz taks a shot from outside the arc on the bottom of the court but it bounces out. Moore runs the ball down the court for texas keeping putting them up by one. Shay Holle rips the ball from Felder’s hands and runs it down the court for two, she could’ve had the and-one but she couldn’t drain it from the stripe. Longhorns now lead 23-20. Moore sinks a layup from under the basket to kick the Longhorns up by five, 25-20 in favor of Texas. Booker takes a mid-range jumper and the Horns put together a quick 14-0 run. Andrews ends the run with a smooth three-pointer and the teams head to locker room with Texas leading by four, 27-23.   

Third Quarter

Texas has the ball to start the third and energy is low in Foster, most non-student fans are seated. Booker puts up a jumper that bounces off the rim. Edwards puts down a layup for Baylor with the assist from Blackwell. Neither team capitalizes on their next possession. UT tries to put a layup up but can’t get it to fall, Walker takes the ball down court and puts up another two for Baylor. Tie game, 27-27, Bears’ ball. Andrews with the jumper! Bears lead by two and Texas has yet to score in the third! Longhorns take it dwon court where Jones makes the and-one to put Ut ahead 30-29. A fould by Shaylee Gonzales sends Walker to the line where she goes 1-2 to tie it back up at 30. Jones sinks a jumper for two but the Bears respond with a second-chance jumper by Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor had the opportunity to re-take the lead when Littlepage-Buggs was sent to the line for the potential and-one, but the shot bounced out. Gonzaels sends Walker back to the line where she goes 0-2 leaving the game tied at 32. Littlepage-Buggs steals the ball from Jones and gets it down court to Edwards who passes to Blackwell who misses her shot, but is sent to the line going 2-2 after a fould from Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda. Bears led 34-32 until the Horns tied it back up with a two-point jumper from Jones. Wedwards picks up her thrid foul of the evening and heads to the bench, UT in-bounds but can’t score. We’re heading to the under-five media timeout tied up at 34. 

At the timeout:

• Jones is the only Longhorn scorer this quarter with seven points
• The Bears have outrebounded the Horns 7-3 thus far in the third
• UT has committed six fouls compared to Baylor’s two thus far

Coming out of the timeout Blackwell goes 1-2 from the charity stripe via a fould by Muhammad prior to the timeout, Bears lead by one. Moore sinks a jumper for two to give UT a one-point lead but comes down wrong and is unable to stand. After about two minutes Moore was able to leve the court under her own power, she immediately left for the lockerroom. Mwentanda puts up two to extend Texas’s lead to three. Fontleroy strikes back with a big three-pointer to tie the game at 38! Booker answers with a three, then a short jumper to put UT up by five, 43-38. Muhammad puts up another two points and the Bears call timeout to break up the Horns’ flow, 2:33 on the clock. 

Coming out of the timeout the Bears have the ball and Moore checks into the game after her big fall earlier in the quarter. Bears can’t make anything happen on their first possession but Walker is sent to freethrow line on their second after another foul from Gonzales; this is the third time this quarter that Gonzales has sent Walker to the line. Walker goes 2-2 from the line and its a five-point game game in favor of Texas, 45-40. Moore commits an offensive foul to give the ball back to the Bears where Fontleroy attempts to put up a three from deep, but the ball falls short and doesn’t hit the rim. Booker puts up two for the Horns, extending their lead to seven. Jones puts up another jumper, making that nine points for her in the third quarter. Walker misses a buzzer-beating three to end the quarter. The Longhorns lead 49-40 with 10:00 left to play.

Fourth Quarter

Booker strikes first in the fourth quarter with a layup, extending the Texas lead to 11, 51-40. Andrews nails a three from deep for the Bears following an air-ball from Felder. Time will tell if this is the spark the Bears needed. A media timeout is called after a collision sends Fontleroy to the trainer with what appears to be a bloody nose, initially the call is a foul on Fontleroy with two freethrows awarded to Texas. The call is confirmed as a foul on Fontleroy, she hit her nose on the way down, Jones takes the freethrows for UT and goes 1-2. Fontleroy returns to the game with a piece of cotton in her nose. Jana Van Gytenbeek, who entered the game for Fontleroy, fouls Moore and sends her to the line where she goes 2-2. Edwards puts up a jumper for the Bears keeping the Longhorns at a single digit lead. Booker puts up a layout to extend the Texas lead to 11, 56-45. Baylor calls a timeout with 5:41 on the clock. 

Out of the timeout Felder sinks a three, Mwenentanda answers with a jumper. Edwards downs a layup and it looks like the Bears are coming alive again. Moore drains a jumper and dampens the energy built by Edwards and Felder’s points. Van Gytenbeek and Andrews captialize on a steal for a layup that sends Andrews to the line for the potential and-one, the Pavillion is buzzing. Andrews misses her freethrow but the crowd is still alive and rowdy thanks to a steal by Walker. Walker proceeds to miss her jumper and cheers of “defense” are ringing out from the crowd. Moore fouls and gives possession to the Bears, but a three-point attempt from Andrews falls short and bounces off the front of the rim. Felder commits her fourth foul and sends Booker to the line for two, she went 2-2 and UR is by 10, 62-52. Van Gytenbeek puts up a three thats bounces out to Felder, she kicks it out to Edwards who tried for three but can’t find the net. Longhorns take the ball down court where Booker is blocked by Edwards, Horns rebounds but Felder steals. Felder misses a jumper and Van Gytenbeek gets the offensive rebound, but turns the ball over to Texas. Texas calls a timeout, up by 10 with 1:45 on the clock and the fans are making their way towars the exits. 

Texas has the ball coming out of the timeout, Booker falls to the ground and jump-ball is called with the possession arrow favoring Texas. Texas is now playing the clock trying to dwindle down as much time as possible. After a missed jumper from Booker, Blackwell rebounds and proceeds to foul giving the ball back to the Horns and sending Jones to the line where she goes 2-2. Baylor gets the ball down 12 with 1:19 left on the clock. Gonzeles fouls Blackwell and sends her to the line where she goes 1-2. The Bears are still down by 11. Longhorns take it down court where Moore misses a jumper but Jones rebounds and puts it up herself. Van Gytenbeek fouls Jones and sends her to the line where she goes 1-1. Jones immediately steals the ball and forces Fonteroy to foul her for the sake of the clock, she goes 1-2 and the Bears are down by 14. Walker puts up a futile jumper with 19 seconds remaining to give us a final score of 67-55.