Gameday Thread: No. 4-Seed Baylor WBB Hosts No. 13-Seed Grand Canyon in Round of 64

WACO, Texas – No. 4-seed Baylor women's basketball (27-7; 15-3 Big 12) host the No. 13-seed Grand Canyon Antelopes (32-2; 16-0 WAC) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Friday, March 21, at Foster Pavilion. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

• Spread: Baylor -15.5
• Total O/U: 140.5
• Baylor Massey Rating: No. 12
  • Baylor NET Ranking: No. 15
• GCU Massey Rating: No. 50
  • GCU Net Ranking: No. 61

Coaches

Baylor (Nicki Collen): 101-35 Record; 4 NCAA Tournaments; Sweet 16

GCU (Molly Miller): 117-37 Record; NCAA Tournament

Baylor Starters

• Guard Jada Walker (5'7, Sr.): 11 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 41% FG, 38% 3-PT, 75% FT, 31 MPG
• Guard Sarah Andrews (5'6, Sr.): 10.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5 APG, 37% FG, 38% 3-PT, 52% FT, 31 MPG
• Forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (6'1, Jr.): 14.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 54% FG, 73% FT, 30 MPG
• Forward Bella Fontleroy (6'0, Jr.): 9.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 38% FG, 32% 3-PT, 60% FT, 28 MPG
• Center Aaronette Vonleh (6’3, Sr.): 14.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 57% FG, 66% FT, 24 MPG

Baylor Bench

• Guard Yaya Felder (5'8, Sr.): 10.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 44% FG, 38% 3-PT, 74% FT, 25 MPG
• Guard Aliyah Matharu (5’7, Sr.): 7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 39% FG, 35% 3-PT, 64% FT, 17 MPG
• Guard Waiata Jennings (5'9, Jr.): 2.1 PPG, 40% FG, 35% 3-PT, 100% FT, 11 MPG
• Forward Kyla Abraham (6'3, Jr.): 2.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 50% FG, 39% FT, 12 MPG
• Forward Kayla Nelms (6'1, Fr.): 2.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 42% FG, 19% 3-PT, 7 MPG

GCU Starters

• Guard Callie Cooper (5'6, Sr.): 3.4 PPG, 3.1 APG, 43% FG, 29% 3-PT, 72% FT, 23 MPG
• Guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas (5'7, Sr.): 14.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 47% FG, 47% 3-PT, 80% FT, 33 MPG
• Guard Tiarra Brown (5'9, Sr.): 12.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 49% FG, 73% FT. 30 MPG
• Guard Trinity San Antonio (5'10, Sr.): 15.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5 APG, 47% FG, 32% 3-PT, 69% FT, 29 MPG
• Forward Laura Erikstrup (6’2, Sr.): 14.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 49% FG, 77% FT, 27 MPG

GCU Bench

• Guard Anna Ostlie (5’8, Sr.): 4.1 PPG, 46% FG, 42% 3-PT, 88% FT, 18 MPG
• Guard Ale'jah Douglas (5'6, Sr.): 3.1 PPG, 42% FG, 33% 3-PT, 78% FT, 15 MPG
• Guard Kristyna Jeskeova (6’2, Sr.): 3.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 58% FG, 55% FT, 14 MPG

GCU Notable Opponents

• Arizona State (70-59 Win)
• No. 23 Oregon (70-54 Loss)
• Arizona (69-66 Win)
• Abilene Christian (81-67 Win, 70-57 Win)
• UT Arlington (82-69 Win, 72-59 Win, 65-62 Win)

Top Quotes

Head coach Nicki Collen on playing Grand Canyon:

• "[Molly Miller] has obviously done an amazing job building that program, winning more than 30 games and getting to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. They are super veteran; I don't know if they have anyone who plays who isn't a senior. [They have] nothing to lose. It's the first time in program history [making the NCAA Tournament], so that's a very freeing feeling to know that we've already accomplished something that this program has never done. Now, let's just go have some fun. We're going to get a team that's really competitive, and that's also playing with nothing to lose."

Head coach Nicki Collen on star forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (Jr.) returning:

• "She's going to be on a minutes restriction. There's no question there's return-to-play protocol, and we certainly don't want to have her in a situation where we set her back, but it's good that we've gotten to start her back and have the whole week to continue to ramp up her load. … I don't have any plans yet on what it means for the starting lineup. I'm just excited to see her back out there getting to the glass, rolling to the rim and all of those very Buggs-like things."

Head coach Nicki Collen on being able to host postseason games at Foster Pavilion:

• "You feel more pressure at home. There's no question there's a little bit more of a target on your back when you're playing at home. You don't take anyone for granted because it's win and move on or lose and go home. Knowing that we have a veteran group, I think everybody's going to be in the mindset that no one is going to look past Grand Canyon. When you've won more than 30 games, and you have a 30-game win streak, you can't do that."

Forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (Jr.) on being able to host postseason games at Foster Pavilion:

• "It's exciting. You always want to host. It's your home base, and you're familiar with it. March is an exciting time to be. Having that home-court advantage is awesome. It definitely comes with its plusses, and it's so exciting. We've done good all season, so to bring it home where a lot more people can come is great."

Guard Sarah Andrews (Sr.) on Baylor playing its best basketball to close the season:

• "Netty is starting to kill. She's peaking at the right time; I think she has more left. We have a lot of people who started playing their best basketball at the right time, just like what we wanted to happen."

Guard Sarah Andrews (Sr.) on the importance of drawing a big crowd against Grand Canyon:

• "We want to take it one game at a game and start with GCU and then worry about whoever's next after them. Most of all, we want that fanbase that we had against TCU. We want everybody to come out and bring that support because it's going to be needed at a time like this."

Other WBB News:

• Baylor Women's Basketball Earns No. 4 Seed, Hosts Grand Canyon in First Round
• Presser: Nicki Collen & Players React to NCAA Selection, Hosting Grand Canyon