The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
No. 2/1 Baylor
Women's Basketball falls to No. 2/1 Baylor, 64-44
01.31.2020 | Women's Basketball
Lashann Higgs scores 10 points and Charli Collier grabs 16 rebounds for the Longhorns.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 2/1 Baylor used a dominant third quarter to break open a close game, and notched a 64-44 Big 12 Conference victory over Texas on Friday night at the Frank Erwin Center.
Baylor (19-1, 8-0) held Texas (14-7, 6-3) to 25 percent shooting from the floor and limited the Longhorns to 14 points in the paint. Queen Egbo, with 17 points, and DiDi Richards, with 16, led the Lady Bears. Lashann Higgs scored 10 points and Charli Collier pulled down 16 rebounds for Texas.
Early in the game, both teams exhibited stifling defenses that denied the paint and forced misses on the first ten shots of the first quarter. The lead changed hands six times, with UT on top by four at the 2:12 mark. The initial period ended in an 11-11 tie.
Both teams struggled to score in the early minutes of the second quarter, with Texas taking an early four-point lead. Then Baylor went on a 9-0 run midway through the period to capture a seven-point margin. The Longhorns cut the Bears' lead to five at the halftime break, 29-24. Joanne Allen-Taylor, on the strength of two three-pointers, led UT with six points. Texas shot 27 percent from the floor in the first half and held Baylor to 39 percent.
Baylor outscored Texas, 23-5, in the third period to take a 52-29 advantage. The Lady Bears hit nine of 13 field goal attempts while holding the Longhorns to a pair of baskets in 16 attempts during the period.
Texas outscored Baylor, 15-12, in the fourth quarter.
KEY STATISTICS
- The Longhorns started Collier, Celeste Taylor, Joyner Holmes, Sug Sutton and Jada Underwood.
- After 100 games, Texas leads the all-time series with Baylor, 58-42.
- Baylor won the rebounding battle, 50-40.
- Each team scored 19 bench points.
TEXAS HEAD COACH KAREN ASTON
"I really thought that our team was ready to play. I think that the first half was an indicator that our defense was really good, but shot selection was really poor. We just couldn't ever get to a place where we were comfortable reversing the basketball. I think we settled way too much for long twos, and jumpers that were contested instead of ball reversal which probably would have given us a little more offensive confidence in the first half. I thought Baylor punched us in the third quarter and we didn't respond very well. They found the mismatches, so I thought they did a good job at that. We don't have a lot of depth in the paint and I thought we got really passive and didn't take the punch very well."
BAYLOR HEAD COACH KIM MULKEY
On what she told the team at halftime:
"We talked about, 'You really didn't shoot it well. Credit Texas taking away some stuff, but you still had a lead. Just stay the course, keep grinding. Don't give them but one shot, keep them off the offensive boards, they're a good rebounding team and so are we, and when you go to somebody's home court you can't let the crowd get into it. You can't let them have a second and third shot.' And I thought that we did a good job. (Texas forward Charlie) Collier, I think, had a lot of rebounds, but she didn't score. I think we did a good job on guarding her, in fact, well, I think the only bucket she got was maybe a three, and I'll take a 6-5 shooting a three out there instead of posting me up all night."
On Baylor's success in the third quarter:
"I'd like to tell you defense, because I think they only scored 20 points in the second half and five in the third, but really I'd have to go back and look at film and ask if it was our defense or just poor shooting by them. We're grinding wins out until we can get (forward) Nalyssa Smith. This kid right here (Didi Richards) and Moon Ursin coming off the bench are warriors, and they can start in any program in America -- but Nalyssa has a high-ankle sprain and I started her tonight because we have to get her in a groove. But you know, she's dying to get out there to play and she's that kind of kid. But, just keep grinding; we have that kind of talent and we have enough experience to just keep doing it until we get everybody on the floor healthy."
UP NEXT
Texas returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 9, when it travels to Lubbock, Texas, to take on Texas Tech. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. CT and the game will be nationally televised by ESPNU. The game will be available on radio at 105.3 FM in Austin and online at TexasSports.com/audio.
