No. 12 Bears Cruise Past Cardinals in Season Opener, Beat UIW 85-33

WACO, Texas – No. 12 Baylor (1-0) cruised past the Incarnate Word Cardinals (0-2) in the 2024-2025 season opener, 85-33, on Thursday night at Foster Pavilion.

Forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (Jr.) led the Bears with 25 points and six rebounds on 11-of-18 shooting and even knocked down her first career 3-pointer in the third quarter. 

Colorado transfer center Aaronette Vonleh (Sr.) added three rebounds and 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting from the floor in her first game in a Baylor uniform.

Point guard Jada Walker (Sr.) scored six points, dished out a career-high 10 assists as a Bear, turned the ball over twice and created havoc on defense throughout the game.

“Every single person had an impactful stat-line in different areas,” forward Bella Fontleroy (Jr.) said post-game. “We had everybody doing a little bit of everything and everyone stepped into their role tonight.”

Baylor held Incarnate Word to just 33 total points, the lowest amount since the Bears beat Tennessee State, 93-27, on Dec. 15, 2022. In the blowout victory over the Cardinals, Baylor forced 30 turnovers and finished with 24 points off of turnovers.

“We’re super disruptive, and we used a lot of energy defensively; we had to defend most possessions for 20-plus seconds,” fourth-year head coach Nicki Collen said after the win. “I thought we did a better job when it got late in the shot clock of walling up, not fouling and rebounding the basketball.”

Vonleh opened the game with her first basket as a Bear. As the first quarter went on, Baylor’s intensity on defense picked up, using a full-court press to turn the Cardinals over seven times.

Six different players recorded at least two steals in the contest: Littlepage-Buggs, Vonleh, Walker, Fontleroy, guard Yaya Felder (Sr.) and guard Waiata Jennings (Jr.). Center Kyla Abraham (Jr.) and Littlepage-Buggs each recorded at least one block in the win as well.

Baylor’s jump shots weren’t falling early (4-of-15 from beyond the arc) as they adjusted to UIW’s zone defense, but the Bears took a commanding 38-19 lead going into the half-time locker room. Littlepage-Buggs had a team-high eight points and five rebounds in the first half.

One of the four made shots from deep came from Vonleh midway through the second quarter; it was the third career 3-pointer of her career.

Baylor’s offense started to click in the third quarter, making 10-of-15 shots. Fontleroy came down with four rebounds in the quarter and finished with a team and career-high 14 boards and nine points on the night. She was one point shy of her seventh career double-double.

“She was a menace on the glass,” Collen said. “She was coming from all over when they were in man, when they were in zone, really at both ends. When she goes up in the air to get the ball, there’s no one more sure-handed at bringing it in.”

Guard Jana Van Gytenbeek (5Sr.) added 10 points, five assists and two rebounds off the bench before exiting with an injury late in the third quarter; it appeared to be non-contact.

Collen said post-game that Van Gytenbeek is “being evaluated” but didn’t elaborate any further.

The Bears (1-0) will head west for a Sunday showdown against Oregon (2-0) at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.