No. 13 Texas falls to No. 9 Baylor 75-63 in 12th straight loss to the Bears
February 5, 2022
In an offensive slump, No. 13 Texas women’s basketball lost its second ranked matchup in a row and 12th straight in series history to No. 9 Baylor, 75-63,
The Bears’ defense smothered the Longhorns, causing Texas to make just half of their layup attempts and shoot just 37.3% from the floor. Both teams struggled to control possession on offense and had an abundance of turnovers, Texas with 20 and Baylor with 19.
In the first half at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas tallied a total of 14 turnovers, amounting to 21 points for Baylor off of turnovers. The inability to execute the game plan inevitably led to Texas’ defeat.
“We’ve gotta have great focus, great concentration and we gotta play right,” head coach Vic Schaefer said in a press conference prior to the game. “More than anything it’s our personnel versus their personnel.”
Throughout his time at Texas, Schaefer has yet to defeat the Baylor Bears (0–4 in matchups). The Lady Bears extended the rivalry series between the two teams to 12 straight wins after Friday night’s win.
Even with shots unable to fall for Texas, Baylor maintained the boards and recorded 23 defensive rebounds to Texas’ 18. Three Baylor players scored in double digits.
Baylor senior forward NaLyssa Smith presented problems for the Longhorns on defense, scoring 25 points on 10-12 shooting (1-1 from 3-point line). Smith also pulled in eight rebounds.
Additionally, sophomore guard Sarah Andrews scored 17 points and had eight assists. Junior guard Ja’Mee Asberry was a threat from deep, scoring 12 points from beyond the 3-point line and 15 points total.
As for the Longhorns, junior guard Aliyah Matharu led her team in scoring off the bench with 17 points (4-6 from 3-point line) and four rebounds. However, her run was put to a stop by foul trouble as she picked up two fouls early in the third quarter.
Freshman guard Rori Harmon also had a productive game obtaining 10 points, six assists and three rebounds. Senior center Lauren Ebo led the team in rebounds with six.
With Game 1 of the weekend rivalry series complete, Texas looks to bounce back this Sunday in Austin against No. 9 Baylor. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN2.