NCAAW Massive 12: Darianna Littlepage-Buggs maintains Baylor Bears’ pleasure

The Baylor Bears performed with an entire lot of spirit Monday night time at Moody Heart in Austin and have been rewarded with a 63-54 win over the No. 12 Texas Longhorns that can be large for his or her standing in Bracketology.

Massive 12 Freshman of the Yr candidate Darianna Littlepage-Buggs led the Bears, who have been a No. 9 seed on Friday according to ESPN, with 19 factors and 13 rebounds. She scored 11 within the first quarter to set the tone and assist Baylor (19-10, 10-7 Massive 12) to a 20-18 lead after one. The second quarter was extremely back-and-forth till the Bears pulled away a bit with a seven-point lead late within the body. Texas (22-8, 13-4 Massive 12) saved it shut till a Sarah Andrews contested layup at 6:42 remaining within the contest, after which Baylor lead by at the very least seven.

Andrews completed with 17 factors, seven boards and two steals.

The Bears overcame early-season losses to good groups in No. 5 Maryland, No. 17 Michigan and No. 21 Arizona by defeating No. 16 Oklahoma and then-No. 21 Kansas in back-to-back video games in early January. They’re 7-7 since then, with the seven convention losses being equal to their variety of convention losses over the earlier seven years. Nonetheless, amid the struggles, they picked up a giant win over No. 23 Iowa State and now this win over Texas, which prevented the Longhorns from clinching a share of the Massive 12 regular-season title. Baylor has in fact gained the final 12 of these and saved its pleasure intact by not permitting Texas to have fun that accomplishment after a sport towards it.

The Bears confirmed the the explanation why they are going to be a harmful workforce in March on Monday. Littlepage-Buggs was an issue inside and in addition hit from mid-range, Andrews confirmed off her handles and all-around scoring skill, Ja’Mee Asberry hit a pair clutch threes and help machine Jaden Owens completed with seven helpers, one above her season common.

Asberry (10 factors, three assists, two steals) shushed Moody after a mid-range make that was the ultimate basket of the third. Baylor led by at the very least 5 the remainder of the best way.

After some good dribbling strikes, Andrews acquired in near the basket and made a bank-floater that made it 52-45 one minute and 14 seconds into the fourth. Considered one of Texas’ high scorers, DeYona Gaston, who had returned from an obvious decrease again harm suffered within the third, answered with a floater of her personal that reduce it to 52-47. The groups then exchanged baskets once more with Littlepage-Buggs scoring off an offensive rebound-turned-layup and Texas’ Rori Harmon hitting a turnaround mid-range shot. Then got here the contested Andrews layup that swung momentum for good.

After that Andrews bucket, teammate Kyla Abraham turned an offensive rebound right into a layup that made it 58-49 at 5:03 remaining. On the following Texas possession, Littlepage-Buggs performed suffocating protection on Gaston, forcing a shot clock violation. Baylor acquired the ball again and Andrews made a step-back trey on the buzzer of the shot clock to make it 61-49 with 3:34 to play.

A Littlepage-Buggs layup at 1:51 remaining additionally gave the Bears a 12-point lead. Shaylee Gonzales reduce it to 63-54 along with her second three of the sport at 57 ticks left, however the Longhorns have been unable to power a turnover after that and selected to not foul. Gonzales’ first three opened the competition’s scoring.

Harmon completed with 12 factors, seven rebounds and 7 assists, whereas her teammate Taylor Jones had 15 factors, 13 boards and three blocks. Gonzales added 10 factors in defeat.

Asberry’s first three hit off the again rim and fell in to make it 37-30 Bears on the 1:05 mark of the second quarter. Her second made it 46-39 on the 4:45 mark of the third.

Texas was a No. 4 seed in ESPN’s Friday Bracketology.