No. 16 Baylor Women’s Basketball Defeats Lindenwood, 76-63, in Home Opener

WACO, Texas – No. 16 Baylor women’s basketball (2-0) took down Lindenwood (1-1) by a score of 76-63, using an 18-0 start to the game to down the Lions in the Bears’ home opener on Sunday at Foster Pavilion.

Redshirt-sophomore guard Taliah Scott built off of her 24-point Baylor debut, scoring 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting in the triumph. While Scott needs to be better at taking care of the ball, turning it over five times in the game, she is one of the most gifted scorers in the country.

Senior forward Bella Fontleroy bounced back after a four-point effort against Duke, adding 26 points for the Bears, capped by a 16-point first half. Fontleroy also totaled eight rebounds and four steals.

While the Lions are a strong Ohio Valley Conference squad, the Bears’ superior talent and length overcame turnover issues and provided enough challenge to the Lions inside the arc to move the Bears to 2-0. Baylor out-rebounded the Lions, 34-to-27, and out-scored them in the paint, 22-to-14.

The Bears opened the game on an 18-0 run, starting the game 3-for-3 from deep and led by three transition baskets from Fontleroy. Fontleroy ended the quarter with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

The length and quickness of Baylor gave Lindenwood issues, as the Lions did not make a field goal until 2:09 left in the quarter, failed to score inside the arc, and turned the ball over six times.

Baylor made Lindenwood pay for those turnovers, with eight points off the Lions’ first-quarter turnovers. If someone wanted to nitpick, there were some sloppy handoffs and passes from the Bears that could have been cleaned up. However, it was an excellent quarter for the Bears, as they entered the second period up 24-9.

The second quarter quickly became the Scott show, as the Auburn transfer amassed nine points in three consecutive possessions. Scott finished the quarter with 13 points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 shooting from the charity stripe.

Fontleroy also continued her hot start and added six points, headlined by a fake dribble handoff to freshman guard Marcayla Johnson, which ended in a Fontleroy layup.

Head coach Nicki Collen grew frustrated with the Bears' lack of rebounding, as the Lions posted a 36.3% offensive rebounding percentage in the quarter, up from 0% in the first quarter. Second-chance points and the free-throw line helped the Lions reach 20 points in the quarter. The sloppy passes also continued, and the Bears doubled their total turnovers in the quarter, entering halftime with eight turnovers. Despite the errors, the Bears rode a 24-20 quarter into a 48-29 halftime lead.

Lindenwood continued to fight in the third quarter, opening the quarter on a 10-4 run. However, an 8-0 Baylor response kept the Lions at a comfortable distance in the first part of the quarter. However, the Bears’ defense looked lackadaisical throughout the third quarter, backed up by Lindenwood’s eight points in the paint.

In comparison, the Lions only had four points in the paint in the first half. Lindenwood converted on 9-of-14 attempts from the field, and Lions junior guard Ellie Brueggemann was 6-for-6 for 14 points in the third quarter. Turnovers continued to plague the Bears, with four more turnovers leading to eight Lindenwood points. The Baylor lead was cut to 13 entering the final quarter, with the Bears leading 63-50.

The Lions opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, cutting the Bears' lead to single digits for the first time since the first quarter. With the game being back within striking reach, Fontleroy and Scott continued their hot nights. Fontleroy converted on a driving layup, then knocked down a corner catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, courtesy of a Marcayla Johnson drive-and-kick. A Scott pull-up 3-pointer extended the lead back to 14.

However, the Lions continued to claw back, cutting the lead back to nine. A Kiersten Johnson 3-pointer put the Bears up by double digits for good, and despite a shaky quarter offensively, four Lindenwood turnovers helped Baylor advance to 2-0. Johnson finished the game with 10 points and two 3-pointers.

While it was great to see Scott and Fontleroy explode for huge scoring nights, the Bears cannot afford to have guard Jana Van Gytenbeek and forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs combine for five points. Furthermore, six offensive rebounds and 16 turnovers will be outcome-changing against top teams. The effort level seemed to drop after the initial run, with multiple players looking too comfortable. However, it is good to have an unblemished record, even with multiple areas to address, as the ceiling has yet to be reached.

The Bears (2-0) will return to action on at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, against UNLV at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The game will be streamed on CBS Sports Network.