Oso Sweet, Bears Advance to Sweet Sixteen

TL;DR: Jada Walker leads the Bears to the Sweet Sixteen with career performance in front of a soldout enemy crowd. 

Jada Walker had a career night back in her home state of Virginia, helping the Bears reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2021. 

In a game that saw the score knotted up ten separate times, it felt like a defensive battle 0of the juggernauts at a time, with long scoring droughts from a combination of bad shooting and good defense. The Hokies were able to grab hold of the lead on two separate occasions but could never keep it for longer than a possession or two. The Bears’ ability to end each of the first three quarters with a three-point lead proved to be the winning factor in today’s game; both teams recorded an even 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Bears led for 30:46 tonight, whereas VT only led for 17 seconds. It should also be noted that this game was played on Virginia Tech’s homecourt in front of a sellout crowd; tonight’s victory snapped a 26-game home-winning streak for the Hokies. 

Walker scored a career-high 28 points after going 9-16 from the field and 1-1 from deep. She also went 9-10 from the line. Walker was joined in double figures by Sarah Andrews with 16 and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs with 10. 

Baylor will play the winner of Southern California and Kansas on March 30th at a time TBA. USC and Kansas play on Monday at 9 p.m. CT. 

Final Stats

Baylor 

FG: 27-63 (42.9%)

3FG: 5-18 (27.8%)

FT: 16-25 (64%)

REB: 35

A: 7

PF: 18

TO: 10

Virginia Tech

FG: 27-63 (42.9%)

3FG: 9-28 (32.1%)

FT: 9-12 (75%)

REB: 36

A: 14

PF: 22

TO: 14

TL;DR: Jada Walker leads the Bears to the Sweet Sixteen with career performance in front of a soldout enemy crowd. 

Jada Walker had a career night back in her home state of Virginia, helping the Bears reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2021. 

In a game that saw the score knotted up ten separate times, it felt like a defensive battle 0of the juggernauts at a time, with long scoring droughts from a combination of bad shooting and good defense. The Hokies were able to grab hold of the lead on two separate occasions but could never keep it for longer than a possession or two. The Bears’ ability to end each of the first three quarters with a three-point lead proved to be the winning factor in today’s game; both teams recorded an even 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Bears led for 30:46 tonight, whereas VT only led for 17 seconds. It should also be noted that this game was played on Virginia Tech’s homecourt in front of a sellout crowd; tonight’s victory snapped a 26-game home-winning streak for the Hokies. 

Walker scored a career-high 28 points after going 9-16 from the field and 1-1 from deep. She also went 9-10 from the line. Walker was joined in double figures by Sarah Andrews with 16 and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs with 10. 

Baylor will play the winner of Southern California and Kansas on March 30th at a time TBA. USC and Kansas play on Monday at 9 p.m. CT. 

Final Stats

Baylor 

FG: 27-63 (42.9%)

3FG: 5-18 (27.8%)

FT: 16-25 (64%)

REB: 35

A: 7

PF: 18

TO: 10

Virginia Tech

FG: 27-63 (42.9%)

3FG: 9-28 (32.1%)

FT: 9-12 (75%)

REB: 36

A: 14

PF: 22

TO: 14

First Quarter

TL;DR: Bears start strong against a great Virginia Tech squad. BU led by as many as seven but the Hokies cut it back down to three to end the quarter with a big and-one.

PxP(ish): Bears win the tip, and Sarah Andrews drops in a layup to start the game; Matilda Ekh responds for the Hokies with a layup, and we are underway in what is sure to be a tight match. 2.5 minutes pass before the next points come on the court; these come by way of a Jada Walker layup. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs fouls and sends Ekh to the line, where she went 1-2, giving us a 4-3 ballgame in favor of the Bears with 7:18 to play in the first. Andrews drains a big step-back three; this is going to be a huge confidence booster as we know this team loves to shoot the three ball for better or worse; hopefully, having the made three this early in the game will be the momentum builder to give the Bears the upset. Clara Strack drained a contested jumper and picked up a foul for the and-one, which she made to bring the game up to 7-6. Littlepage-Buggs took the ball and drained back-to-back shots to bring the BU lead up to five, which is a new high for the game. Olivia Summiel drains a shot for VT and brings the BU lead down to three. Strack drains a jumper and cuts the lead down to one heading into the media timeout with a foul by Dre’une Edwards. Strack will have a chance to knot the game with a free throw after the break. Strack nails the free throw, and we have a new ball game with 4:46 to play in the first. Littlepage-buggs makes a second-chance layup, and the Bears are back up by two with a score of 13-11. Edwards is sent to the line, but she goes 0-2. Strack gets a jumper in the paint, and we’re tied at 13. Edwards drills a three to bring the Bears back out in front with just over 2:00 in the quarter. Jana Van Gytenbeek tosses in a layup and Andews goes 2-2 from the line to bring the Bears up by seven. Georgia Amoore has a jumper for two. Aijha Blackwell goes 1-2 from the line with 12.6 seconds remaining and Amoore runs the ball down the court for a layup and a foul by Van Gytenbeek gives her the and-one to bring the lead down to three at the end of the first quarter.

First Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 8-18 (44.4%)

3FG: 2-5 (40%)

FT: 3-6 (50%)

REB: 9

A: 2

PF: 6

TO: 1

Virginia Tech

FG: 7-16 (43.8%)

3FG: 0-6 (0%)

FT: 4-5 (80%)

REB: 10

A: 4

PF: 6

TO: 4

Second Quarter

TL;DR: In a defensive quarter, the Bears led by as many as eight, but once again, the Hokies managed to keep the Bears within reach, and it is a six-point ball game at the half Bears lead.

PxP(ish): VT starts the second quarter with their first three of the game; Amoore took the shot and tied the game up at 21. After 3:13 without a made shot, Andrews drained a three, but it was quickly covered up by a three from Cayla King, and we are tied at the media timeout. We only saw three made shots in the first 5:06 of the second quarter. Out of the timeout, we had a second-chance layup from Bella Fontleroy, and Edwards knocked down a layup to give the Bears the four-point advantage. Amoore and Edwards trade layups and bring the score up to 30-26. Andrews is sent to the line where she goes 1-2 and the announcer makes a snarky remark about Clemson defeating our men’s team; the remainder of this game will be covered without audio. Andrews puts up a three, and we have a new largest lead of the game with 1:32 to play in the half; the Bears lead 34-26. VT cuts the lead back down to six with a layup from Carleigh Wenzel. VT inbounds the ball with 5.4 seconds on the clock and can’t make anything happen before the half. Baylor leads by six at the half with a score of 34-28.

Second Quarter Stats 

Baylor 

FG: 5-14 (35.7%)

3FG: 2-7 (28.6%)

FT: 1-4 (25%)

REB: 12

A: 3

PF: 3

TO: 6

Virginia Tech

FG: 4-16 (25%)

3FG: 2-10 (20%)

FT: 0-0 (0%)

REB: 8

A: 1

PF: 4

TO: 4

Third Quarter

TL;DR: We’re in for a fight in the last 10:00. For the third straight quarter, the Bears hold a three-point lead. Let’s hope we keep that pattern going in the fourth.

PxP(ish): The Hokies start off the quarter again, this time with a three from Ekh. Walker responds with a layup for the Bears. Strack puts up a layup and makes the and-one with a questionable foul on Fontleroy. The Bears are now holding on to a two-point lead. Strack fouls and sends Yaya Felder to the line, where she goes 2-2. The officials are very liberal with the whistle tonight; I have to think foul trouble will be a factor late in the game. Amoore drains a jumper and brings the score to 38-36 in the Bears favor. Blackwell fouls and sends Strack to the line; she goes 2-2, and we’re tied at 38 with 6:45 left in the third. Fontleroy drains a layup and makes her and-one after going down hard. Baylor holds a three-point lead at the media timeout. Ekh buries a three straight out of the timeout, and the game is tied for the seventh time tonight. Walker gets sent to the line and goes 1-2. Walker drives to the basket and misses the layup but picks up the charge, going 2-2 from the line to bring the Bears’ lead back up to three. Ekh hits another three to tie it back up. Walker and Andrews each respond with a layup, taking the lead back up to four. Ekh hits a midrange jumper and we’re in a one-possession game with 3:02 remaining in the third. Rose Micheaux puts down a layup and the game is tied for the ninth time this evening. Carleigh Wenzel is sent to the line after a foul on Van Gytenbeek; she goes 1-2, and the Hokies have their first lead of the night. Fontleroy reclaims the lead with a layup and we’re still in a one-point game. Walker goes 2-2 from the line but Wenzel drains a three to knot the game back up. Walker silences the crowd with a HALF COURT BUZZER BEATER to bring the Bears up by three at the end of the quarter. 

Third Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 6-13 (46.2%)

3FG: 1-3 (33.3%)

FT: 8-11 (72.7%)

REB: 5

A: 0

PF: 5

TO: 1

Virginia Tech

FG: 8-17 (47.1%)

3FG: 4-7 (57.1%)

FT: 4-5 (80%)

REB: 10

A: 5

PF: 7

TO: 2

Fourth Quarter

TL;DR: Jada Walker put the game on her back and elevated the Bears to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2021. 

PxP(ish): Walker gets us going with a layup to start the quarter, and she makes her free throw for the and-one. Ekh makes another three to keep the Hokies close. Fontleroy drains a layup, and the Bears lead by five. Cayla King drives in a layup, Strack does the same, and Virginia Tech pulls it within one. Littlepage-Buggs puts up a layup, trying to build a cushion for the Bears. Strack goes 1-2 from the line after a foul from Blackwell. Walker knocks down a jumper, but Ekh matches it with a layup, and we’re still only at a two-point game at the media timeout. Littlepage-Buggs makes a nice layup out of the timeout, and the Bears are up by four. King drives in for a layup, but Walker responds with a pull-up jumper. VT calls a timeout, and Amoore bangs in a three straight out of it to bring the Hokies within one. Baylor calls a timeout with 1:33 remaining, and Walker drains a pull-up jumper straight out of the timeout to bring the BU lead back up to three. Baylor calls another timeout with 59 seconds remaining; the Bears have the ball coming out of the timeout; the Bears don’t make anything happen with this possession. Hokies get the rebound and call a timeout, 39.3 seconds remaining. Fontleroy exits the game, and Denae Fritz takes her place to finish the game. Strack makes a second-chance layup after the offensive rebound, and we have a one-point ballgame with 20.5 seconds remaining; timeout, Baylor. JADA WALKER WITH THE LAYUP OUT OF THE TIMEOUT, AND THE BEARS ARE LEADING BY THREE WITH 19.1 LEFT TO PLAY AND A FOUL ON CAYLA KING! SHE GOES 1-1 FROM THE LINE, AND IT IS NOW A TWO-POSSESSION GAME WITH 19 SECONDS REMAINING. Amoore drains a three to make it a one-point game with 16 seconds remaining; one-second drains off the clock before BU calls the timeout. VT fouls, and Walker goes 2-2 from the line; Bears are up three with five seconds remaining. 

Fourth Quarter Stats

Baylor 

FG: 8-18 (44.4%)

3FG: 0-3 (0%)

FT: 4-4 (100%)

REB: 9

A: 2

PF: 4

TO: 2

Virginia Tech

FG: 8-14 (57.1%)

3FG: 3-5 (60%)

FT: 1-2 (50%)

REB: 8

A: 4

PF: 5

TO: 4