Baylor
Southern
No. 15 WBB Sees Southern in Final Non-Conference Contest
12/17/2025 11:32:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bears and Lady Jaguars tip off from Waco at 7 p.m. on Thursday
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15/15 BAYLOR BEARS (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
15/15 BAYLOR (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs SOUTHERN (4-5, 0-0 SWAC) Dec. 18, 2025 • 7 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Foster Pavilion (7,500) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN+ Talent: Mike Leslie (pxp), Jordan Lewis (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) |
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SOUTHERN LADY JAGUARS (4-5, 0-0 SWAC) Location: Baton Rouge, La. Conference/Affiliation: Southwestern Athletic Head Coach: Carlos Funchess (ULM, 1992) Roster | Stats |
Game notes:
• Baylor hosts Southern in one final tune-up before conference play, tipping off at 7 p.m. on Thursday from Foster Pavilion. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and the Baylor Sports Media Network.
• The Bears meet the Lady Jaguars for the fourth time in program history and the second time in the Collen era. Their previous meeting was an 85-53 Bear victory in 2023.
• Though games on Dec. 16, Kiersten Johnson (blocks, blocks per game), Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (double-doubles, rebounds, rebounds per game) and Taliah Scott (free throw percentage, free throws) each hold Big 12-best stats in at least two categories, while the team leads in blocks per game.
• Baylor is ranked 15th in the AP Poll and 15th in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll after its 10-2 start to the season.
• A 10-2 record through the first 12 games of the season is tied for the second-best start (matches 2021-22 and 2024-25) in the Nicki Collen era, behind 2023-24's unscathed non-conference schedule, where BU took an 11-0 record into conference play and stretched it to 14-0 with Big 12 wins over Texas, TCU and Houston before suffering its first setback.
• Through games on Dec. 16, Baylor is ranked No. 28 in the NET.
• The Bears are 0-2 against Quadrant 1 opponents, with the two games coming against Texas and Iowa. BU's top win came against Duke in Paris to open the season.
• Baylor's roster features four players in their fourth season under head coach Nicki Collen, the most among Big 12 programs. BYU follows with two, while Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech each have one.
• UConn leads major basketball conferences (Power Four + Big East) with five returners in at least their fourth year, while Baylor's four are tied for second with Iowa, Minnesota and Washington.
• Kyla Abraham, Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs all signed straight out of high school in an unbroken 2022 recruiting class.
• Jana Van Gytenbeek missed Year No. 3 at BU because of injury, but regained a year of eligibility to finish out her collegiate career under Collen.
