No. 4 Seed Baylor WBB Prepped to Tip Off NCAA Tournament Against Grand Canyon

Thu Mar 20 14:22:45 CDT 2025

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14/15 BAYLOR BEARS (27-7, 15-3 Big 12)
Location: Waco, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998)
Roster<https://baylorbears.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster> | Stats<https://baylorbears.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats> | Game Notes (PDF)<file:///documents/2025/3/20/BU_WBB_Notes_35_GCU.pdf>
14/15 BAYLOR BEARS (27-7, 15-3 Big 12) vs GRAND CANYON LOPES (32-2, 16-0 WAC)
March 21, 2025 • 2:30 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas • Foster Pavilion (7.500)

LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast<https://baylorbears.com/stats>
WATCH: ESPNU
Talent: Krista Blunk (pxp), Mary Murphy (analyst)
LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via FOX Sports Radio 93.9FM in Central Texas and worldwide at centexsportsfan.com<http://www.centexsportsfan.com>.
Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Lori Fogleman (analyst)
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GRAND CANYON LOPES (32-2, 16-0 WAC)
Location: Phoenix, Ariz.
Conference/Affiliation: Western Athletic
Head Coach: Molly Miller (Drury, 2008)
Roster<https://gculopes.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster> | Stats<https://gculopes.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats> | Game Notes (PDF)

Game notes-

• Baylor extended its now third-longest active streak in the NCAA Tournament to 21 straight seasons when it was announced as a No. 4 seed in the Spokane 1 region of the bracket.

• The Bears finished the regular season Big 12 slate with a 15-3 record for second place, dropping their final game that decided the Big 12 Champion to TCU by three points at Foster Pavilion. 15-3 ties the 2021-22 squad’s Big 12 Championship season as the best conference record under head coach Nicki Collen in her fourth year.

• The Bears remain the leading rebounding team in the Big 12 Conference, averaging 41.06 per game, enough for 22nd in the NCAA, and hold an average margin of 7.4 boards over their opponents.

• Back in the AP Top 25, the Bears reentered the rankings on Monday, February 10. Placed at No. 14 in its 10th appearance of 2024-25 (week of Feb. 10), BU received votes in eight editions while being left out twice.

• Baylor holds a 57-19 (.750) record in the NCAA Tournament all-time, with the program’s first win coming in its second appearance in 2002 against Bucknell.

• First chosen in the 2001 season, BU lost to Arkansas in the first round at Cameron Indoor, 68-59.

• The Bears are 18-2 when hosting the first two rounds of the tournament in Waco, both losses coming in the second round to Drake (2002) and South Dakota (2022).

• BU is a four seed for the third time in program history, the previous two occurring in 2004 and 2010. As a four seed, Baylor advanced to the Sweet 16 before a loss to Tennessee in 2004 and advanced to the Final Four in 2010 with a loss to the eventual NCAA Champion UConn in the San Antonio-based semifinal game.

• Foster Pavilion is hosting the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2025 after opening its doors for the inaugural game on January 2, 2024, for men’s basketball and January 3, 2024, for women’s basketball.

• Off the Banks of the Brazos River, the 223,547 square-foot Foster Pavilion holds 7,500 fans and features the Jay and Jenny Allison Development Center that houses the day-to-day operation centers for both men’s and women’s hoops squads.

• The Bears are the winners of three National Championships, 2005, 2012 and 2019.

• 16 Sweet 16 Appearances: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024

• 10 Elite Eight Appearances: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021

• Four Final Four Appearances: 2005, 2010, 2012, 2019

• Baylor is debuting new uniforms for the 2025 NCAA Tournament in collaboration with Nike.

• BU is one of three programs with the updated postseason look, joining UConn and Stanford, one of two in the NCAA Tournament.

• The updated fabric with an embedded vertical fabric was first used with Team USA at the Paris Olympics, as both American squads brought home the gold medal.

• The white home kit features the BEAR wordmark with green piping. A green and gold stripe runs down both sides of the uniform, broken up by a bear claw tear. The green set highlights the BAYLOR wordmark across the chest with gold piping and a similar stripe down the side.

• Through the regular season, Baylor is ranked 15th in the NET, going 3-6 against Quad 1 programs and 7-1 over Quad 2.

• BU’s highest-ranked NET win is over No. 9 Kansas State. The Bears upset the Wildcats on their home court, 79-62, led by 24 points and 12 rebounds from Aaronette Vonleh.

• Grand Canyon enters the matchup at No. 61, with a NET-best Q2 win over No. 58 Arizona.

• Six Baylor players tallied seven All-Big 12 Yearly honors at the conclusion of the regular season, the Big 12 Conference announced on March 4.

• Darianna Littlepage-Buggs headlined the release for the Bears with a first-team recognition, and Yaya Felder was named Sixth Player of the Year, while Sarah Andrews and Aaronette Vonleh had a second-team placement. Bella Fontleroy and Jada Walker were given honorable mention, and Fontleroy received a second nod on the All-Defensive Team.

• At the end of the regular season, Littlepage-Buggs was the only player to average a double-double in the Big 12 while leading in rebounds per game and Felder was the only player in the league to come off the bench averaging 10 or more points per game.

• The six individuals for BU was the most for the program in the Nicki Collen era and seven awards is second behind the eighth bestowed to Baylor in 2021-22.

• Baylor is one 3-pointer away from setting the program season record, currently tied with 259 from last season.

• Aaronette Vonleh is three points away from tabbing 500 in the season, a first for a Bear since NaLyssa Smith’s 2021-22 campaign.

• Sarah Andrews is four assists away from tying, five from outright taking, the No. 2 spot for career assists in program history.

• BU is 24 assists away from breaking into the top 10 in program history.

• Yaya Felder is 46 rebounds away from 500 career.

• Andrews is 56 rebounds away from 500 career.

• Bella Fontleroy is 69 points away from 1,000 career.

• Baylor went 2-1 at the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, getting wins over Iowa State and No. 21 Oklahoma State before falling to TCU in the title game.

• Aaronette Vonleh was named All-Tournament Team after averaging 23.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game after a career-high 37-point performance against the Cowgirls in the semifinal.

• Starting out in the quarterfinal round against Iowa State, BU shot 39.3%, but overpowered a 32-point performance from Audi Crooks after forcing 22 turnovers from the Cyclones. Jada Walker scored 18 points and Bella Fontleroy led the squad in rebounds with six.

• Getting the second overtime win of the Collen era in the second overtime game of the 2024-25 campaign, the Bears downed the Cowgirls in the semifinal to avenge the 23-point loss on New Year’s Day at Foster Pavilion. Vonleh’s career performance was matched by a trio of big 3-pointers from Jada Walker, Sarah Andrews and Waiata Jennings to put the game away and outscore OSU by 10 points in OT.

• The Bears and the Horned Frogs faced off in another title-deciding contest one week after TCU beat Baylor at Foster Pavilion to claim the regular season conference championship. Like each game between the two programs this season, TCU pulled away early but the Bears fought back and were within a possession with less than a minute to go. Vonleh’s 20 points matched Hailey Van Lith for most in the game, but didn’t prove enough as the Horned Frogs got the five-point win and their first Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title.

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Colin Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (WBB, WTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 940-564-0351

[signature_2230589939]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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