No. 3 Baylor Fends Off Kansas, 66-58

Box Score

WACO, Texas – Kansas’ defense held No. 3 Baylor to its worst shooting game since its solitary loss against Kentucky on Nov. 17, but the Lady Bears managed to continue its win streak and hold off the Jayhawks’ comeback for a 66-58 win, Sunday afternoon inside the Ferrell Center.
 
The Lady Bears managed to get a 10-point lead over the Jayhawks early in the second half, but Kansas fought back with a 12-0 run to regain the lead for the first time since the opening frame. Baylor stole the momentum once again to build up another lead with an 11-0 run, only this time the Jayhawks couldn’t find an answer as BU ended KU’s Big 12 win streak.
 
Off the bench for Kansas (12-10, 3-6), senior guard Asia Boyd netted 14 points and six rebounds to lead the Jayhawks’ efforts. Freshman guard Terriell Bradley shined in her home state of Texas against the Lady Bears with 13 total points, eight of which came in the first 20 minutes, to chalk up her fifth game this season in double figures. Clinching double digits in the final minutes, freshman guard Lauren Aldridge added 12 points for Kansas. The Jayhawks shot better than Baylor from the field with a 43 percent completion rate (17-for-40).
 
Sophomore forward Nina Davis led the Lady Bears’ charge over the Jayhawks with 22 points and 8 rebounds. Junior guard Niya Johnson also reached double figures, giving Baylor 13 points and 10 assists. Baylor (20-1, 9-0) was held to its lowest field goal percentage since its sole loss to Kentucky on Nov. 17. The Lady Bears only made 25-of-62 to result in a 40 percent shooting rate.
 
The Jayhawks came out fighting and put up a 9-0 run over the course of three minutes following the first Lady Bears’ bucket. By the first timeout on the floor, Baylor’s leading scorer, Nina Davis hadn’t put any points on the board. But then Kansas dropped into a shooting slump, going 1-for-5 in three minutes as Baylor chipped away at KU’s early advantage.

Senior post Sune Agbuke’s trip to the charity line tied the score, 12-12, and Baylor continued onto an 8-0 run. KU put up five unanswered points, but then the game entered a lull for both teams. Kansas collapsed into a three-minute scoring drought, while Baylor made only 2-of-12 shots from the field.
The squads fought to gain momentum, as each team took turns with possession of the lead. Baylor pulled ahead first by sparking another scoring advantage, this time with six unanswered points and leading by as many as five. Kansas attempted to fight back, but was still behind 32-28 by the halftime break.

After a slow start, Davis chalked up double digits with 10 points for the Lady Bears, while Bradley led Kansas scorers with eight points. Despite having the lead, Baylor was held to just 37 percent shooting from the field (13-for-35), over 10 percent under their average. On the flip side, the Jayhawks completed an above average 48 percent of their shots taken.

Different from the first frame, Baylor immediately took charge to start the second half, tallying four points in 12 seconds. A Kansas scoring silence from the field helped Baylor to a 10-point lead, 41-31. Baylor’s double-digit lead didn’t last long, as Kansas sparked a 7-0 run, during which Chayla Cheadle drained Kansas’ sixth three of the night.

The KU rally continued as Gardner, having only made two buckets thus far, accomplished a traditional three-point play. All in all, Kansas went on a 12-0 scoring stretch, while keeping Baylor 0-for-4 from the field, silent for over four minutes and forcing four turnovers. Kansas’ performance gave the Jayhawks the lead for the first time since the first half, 43-41.

A fire ignited inside the Lady Bears and they replied with an 11-0 run of their own to regain control of the game in the waning minutes of the contest. Kansas stayed in the game behind a 75 percent free throw completion (15-for-20). In fact, it was free shots that ended the Kansas scoring drought.
BU was still firing on all offensive cylinders and entered into yet another run. This time around it tallied 11-2 run to put away Kansas’ hopes of rallying in the final minutes.

NOTES:

  • With an impressive offensive performance against Baylor, Kansas has had three or more Jayhawks score in double figures in 16 of its 22 games. KU posted 43 percent field goal shooting, the highest of a Baylor opponent since Michigan State on Dec. 20.
  • Boyd posted her 10th game this season with 10 or more points in a contest. Against the Lady Bears, she was the leading scorer for Kansas with 14 points.
  • Freshman guard Terriell Bradley shined against the Lady Bears with 13 total points, eight of which came in the first 20 minutes, to chalk up her fifth game this season in double figures.
  • Aldridge  
  • The Kansas defense held Baylor to its lowest field goal percentage since its sole loss to Kentucky on Nov. 17. The Lady Bears only made 25-of-62 to result in a 40 percent shooting rate.

 
UP NEXT:
The Jayhawks return home to Allen Fieldhouse after a two-game road stretch to face Texas Tech for the second time this season on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m., on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN 3. Fans can also tune into the Jayhawk Radio Network.
 
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