Baylor
Houston
WBB Hosts Houston in Friday Tilt
1/16/2025 2:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bears and Coogs tip off at 6 p.m. CT
 |
RV/24 BAYLOR BEARS (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
RV/24 BAYLOR (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) vs HOUSTON COUGARS (5-12, 1-5 Big 12) Jan. 17, 2025 • 6 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Foster Pavilion (7,500) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN+ TALENT: John Morris (pxp), Jim Haller (analyst) LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via FOX Sports Radio 93.9FM in Central Texas and worldwide at centexsportsfan.com. Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Lori Fogleman (analyst) Baylor Social Media:    |
 |
HOUSTON COUGARS (5-12, 1-5 Big 12) Location: Houston, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Ronald Hughey (Limestone, 2006) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Until Tuesday's matchup against 23rd-ranked Utah, Baylor coach Nicki Collen hadn't done a game scout since she was an assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun eight years ago.
"That doesn't mean I don't scout every team and watch more than my fair share of film and breakdown, and I certainly know how to use our software," Collen said. "But I actually did Utah, down to the personnel and the writeup and everything. So, I'm ready for a day off."
Collen got that opportunity after a 70-61 win over the Utes, getting her nails done on Wednesday before starting prep work for Friday's 6 p.m. game at Foster Pavilion between the Bears (15-3, 5-1) and Houston Cougars (5-12, 1-5).
While Baylor has won four in a row to get off to its best start in four years under Collen, while Houston snapped a five-game losing streak with a 79-76 upset of 24th-ranked Oklahoma State on Tuesday. That's the same OSU team that "smacked" the Bears, 84-61, two weeks ago in Waco.
"I think that'll catch their attention more than anything I can say," Collen said. "We can say all we want, 'Hey, they have four guards, they can make shots. There are certain things about them that are going to bother us.' But (Houston) beating Oklahoma State, that'll speak to them, because after what they did to us, I think we've got a lot of respect for Oklahoma State."
Houston, led by 11th-year head coach Ronald Hughey, got 20 points from Kierra Merchant in the win over the Cowgirls. Gigi Cooke added 16 points, Eylia Love 15 and Laila Blair 10 points with a season-high seven steals.
"I think it's a dogfight night in and night out in this league," Collen said. "Do I like that Houston's coming in here with a little swagger? No. But Coach Hughey is a great coach. He's always going to have his team ready. It's always going to be a battle of Texas teams. We better be ready to go."
Blair, who is four 3-pointers shy of the school career record (226) set by Brittney Scott (2007-11), leads three double-digit scorers for the Cougars with 12.2 points per game. Cooke (11.9 ppg) and Love (11.0 ppg, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists) are also backcourt scoring threats, while 6-4 fifth-year forward Peyton McFarland is averaging 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds with 13 blocks.
"You can't look past any team that we're about to play," said senior guard Jada Walker (12.1 ppg, 5.9 assists), who recorded her second double-double in the win over Utah with 12 points and a career-high 12 assists. "In this league, every team has a chance to win. So really, just locking into Houston, knowing our scout, knowing our game plan."
One of five active players averaging double-figure points, junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (14.3 ppg, 10.3 rebounds) will be back Friday after being suspended for the Utah game following a technical for fighting in the first half of last Saturday's 78-59 road win over Arizona State.
The Bears were also without 6-3 senior forward Madison Bartley, who has missed three games this season with a recurring back problem.
Listed as day-to-day, Bartley "has had these issues in the past," Collen said. "Just kind of a recurring thing that sometimes she's right back and sometimes she isn't. I would say at this point, it's day to day. Say your prayers, fingers crossed and all those things, because she was giving us awesome minutes the last month."
With Colorado transfer Aaronette Vonleh (14.0 ppg, 5.3 rebounds) getting two quick fouls in the first and then picking up her third early in the second half, Collen was pleased with the production from 6-3 junior forward Kyla Abraham and 6-1 freshman Kayla Nelms. Abraham scored four first-quarter points, and Nelms had two rebounds, a block and a "rim-running layup" in five minutes off the bench in the third.
"When Nettie got in foul trouble, there was no way Kyla could have played the whole third quarter," Collen said. "That's physically impossible for her to be effective for that length of time. So, we told her, 'Hey, be ready. You may not go in, but you have to be ready to go in."
Friday's game will be streamed by ESPN+, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and former Baylor men's basketball coach Jim Haller calling the action.
In a quick turnaround, the Bears will play top-ranked UCLA (17-0, 6-0) in the first Coretta Scott King Classic at 2 p.m. Monday in Newark, N.J.
Game notes
• Baylor hosts the Houston Cougars on Friday evening at Foster Pavilion with a 6 p.m. tipoff.
• The Bears got their first ranked win of the season in the first attempt on Tuesday against 23rd-ranked Utah, defeating the Utes by nine points in Waco.
• Baylor has its best start to conference play in the Nicki Collen era with a 5-1 record. The Bears are riding a four-game winning streak split 2-0 at home and 2-0 on the road.
• Old Southwest Conference rivals, Baylor and Houston faced off 46 times before the 1996 split, where Baylor became a charter member of the Big 12 and Houston was a founding member of Conference USA. In that era, the Coogs dominated the Bears 33-13. Since then, the two squads have faced off three times with Baylor victorious in each contest.
• BU defeated Houston by a combined 52 points in both conference games of the Cougars' first year in the Big 12.
• UH enters the contest with three scoring double-digit points per game: Laila Blair (12.2), Gigi Cooke (11.9) and Eylia Love (11.0). Kierra Merchant has been most efficient from the floor, shooting .400 with playing time in all 17 games.
• Houston is fresh off an upset victory over Oklahoma State, outscoring the Cowgirls 62-42 in the first three quarters before a near-comeback in the fourth quarter, where OSU led scoring 34-17 with a narrowly missed 3-pointer at the buzzer that would've tied the game.
• OSU was UH's first conference win of the season after dropping contests against Texas Tech, Kansas State, Arizona State, BYU and Utah.
• RV Baylor upset the No. 23 Utah Utes in Waco for the second-straight season, 70-61. With the win, BU moved to 5-1 in conference play, continuing Collen's best start to the league slate in her tenure as a Bear.
• Utah was Baylor's first ranked opponent of the season, giving them their first Top 25 win in their first attempt.
• Playing without Darianna Littlepage-Buggs who was serving a suspension from ASU, the Bears stepped it up with a 53.7% shooting performance, their first 50%+ of conference play and third over a Power Four opponent, led by Aaronette Vonleh's 19 points.
• Bella Fontleroy had her second double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds and also stacked five steals and a pair of blocks on to her impressive stat line. The junior played all but 34 seconds in the game, a new career high for minutes on the court.
• Jada Walker's career-high 12 assists propelled her to the Bears' second double-double of the game, paired with 12 points and only a single turnover in 37 minutes.
• Yaya Felder had the second start of her Baylor career, going 5-of-8 from the floor for 11 points.
• It was just the second win for BU while being outrebouneded, as the Utes outnumbered the Bears, 31-29.
• Baylor will face UCLA at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for the Coretta Scott King Classic on Jan. 20. The doubleheader will also host a showdown between Texas and Maryland.
• The Coretta Scott King Classic was created to honor the legacy of Mrs. King and celebrate female empowerment in sports and is the first time the names of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King have been licensed for a sporting event.
• The first-of-its-kind DH was formed through The King Center, FOX Sports, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Playfly Sports.
