No. 15 Baylor Women’s Basketball Cruises to 76-35 Win over Grambling

WACO, Texas – No. 15 Baylor women’s basketball (7-1) defeated Grambling (1-7) by a score of 76-35, using a strong 24-2 first quarter on its way to a blowout victory.

Redshirt-sophomore guard Taliah Scott led the Bears with 17 points and shot 9-of-9 from the free-throw line. Scott further contributed three assists in the win.

Senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored 10 points and amassed 16 rebounds in the victory. Three of her rebounds were on the offensive glass. 

Forward Bella Fontleroy also got into the double digits in the scoring column, using four fourth-quarter points to end with 11 points. The senior also added seven rebounds.

Baylor had 21 assists on 29 field goal makes, moving the ball around on their way to 76 points. The Baylor defense also smothered the Lady Tigers’ offense, holding them to 20.0% shooting from the field and 14.3% shooting from 3-point range.

The coaching and talent difference was present early. Grambling tried to take on Baylor’s players off the dribble and started in a 4-across set that led to a missed layup. Grambling went back to the set later in the quarter, and it led to the same result. Grambling struggled to get open shots, and it led to the Lady Tigers missing their first seven shots. Grambling’s inability to get dribble penetration led to a plethora of contested attempts. The Lady Tigers shot 1-of-15 from the field, and the Bears amassed four blocks in the first quarter. 

On the other end, after two empty trips down the court, Baylor failed to miss another field goal attempt until 1:47, converting on seven consecutive field goal attempts, including four 3-pointers. The Bears ended the quarter shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-9 from 3-point range. 

Scott led the Bears with six points, highlighted by an and-one 3-pointer. Kiersten Johnson, Littlepage-Buggs, and Fontleroy all contributed five points and a 3-pointer, and Jana Van Gytenbeek added a 3-pointer of her own. Johnson finished the game with nine points and five blocks. Baylor led the game 24-2 after the opening quarter. The only issue offensively, as has been the case every game, was five Baylor turnovers.

The Lady Tigers found more success in the second quarter, converting on three inside-the-arc attempts in the first 3:17 of the quarter. However, the Lady Tigers were unable to make a dent in the Bears’ lead, as they only scored two additional points in the remaining 6:43. Baylor’s length and interior defense have been strengths all season, and it was no different against Grambling. The Bears ended the first half with seven blocks, led by Johnson with three blocks, and held Grambling to 5-of-28 shooting from inside the arc. The Lady Tigers were unable to hurt the Bears from deep as well, missing all six of their attempts. 

While Baylor’s shooting cooled off, only making five of their 16 attempts, they turned the ball over three times in the quarter. Scott once again led the Bears in scoring with five points, including knocking down Baylor’s lone second-quarter triple. Guard Marcayla Johnson contributed four points on two tough drives, attacking a closeout for her first basket and rejecting a Littlepage-Buggs ball screen for her second. A 13-8 quarter in favor of Baylor put the hosts up 37-10 entering halftime. 

It was a strong half for Littlepage-Buggs. The senior posted seven points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Van Gytenbeek also had a good performance, with six assists and zero turnovers. Both seniors need to provide consistent production, and this half was a good sign for both players.

Baylor got out and ran early in the third quarter, as Fontleroy and Kiersten Johnson both converted on easy assisted layups. However, Grambling responded, going on an 8-0 run in which they capitalized with five points off two Baylor turnovers. 

Six points from Baylor bench players on three consecutive possessions helped Baylor maintain a large lead. Yuting Deng got into the scoring column on an opportunistic layup off a Scott pass that should have resulted in a turnover, Johnson knocked down a pull-up mid-range jumper from the left corner and Kiera Pemberton scored on a slip. 

A Deng 3-pointer put her quarter total at five points, leading Baylor in the third quarter. Deng ended the game with seven points. Pemberton added four points as Baylor amassed 13 third-quarter bench points. Eight of the nine Bears who played in the quarter found their way into the scoring column as Baylor put up 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

However, the Lady Tigers matched Baylor’s 20 third-quarter points, led by forward Zaria Johnson’s 10-point quarter. Grambling knocked down two 3-pointers and grabbed four offensive rebounds in their most successful quarter. The third quarter ended with the Bears leading 57-30.

The Bears’ defense did not let Grambling have the same success in the fourth quarter. The Lady Tigers were 1-of-16 from the field and 0-of-5 from 3-point range in the final 10 minutes.

Sophomore forward Kayla Nelms, Fontleroy and Scott all scored 4 points as Baylor won the fourth quarter 19-5. Nelms’ two field goals put every Bear in the scoring column with four or more points in the blowout win. The Bears shot 8-of-15 from the field in the fourth quarter and only turned the ball over twice, coasting to the victory.

There is not a lot that can be taken away from a game against Grambling, but the Bears did take care of business. Another good game from the Baylor bench was a positive, as the Bears scored 23 bench points. The strengths and weaknesses of the team remain the same at this point in the season, as the 2-point defense is strong, but Baylor still needs to take better care of the ball on the offensive end. However, Baylor limited their turnovers to six in the second half. Overall, it was a smooth and comfortable win as the Bears did what was expected of them.

The Bears’ (7-1) next game is against the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions at 7 p.m. CT, Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Foster Pavilion. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.