No. 18 Baylor WBB Set for Top-20 Matchup with Arizona in Dallas

[Hild, Shelby]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Dec. 17, 2022

No. 18 Baylor WBB Set for Top-20 Matchup with Arizona in Dallas
The Bears, Wildcats are the third game of a quadruple-header on Sunday

BAYLOR GAME NOTES<https://baylorbears.com/sports/2022/8/3/wbb-game-notes.aspx>

For more information contact: Shelby Hild; 254-405-7591, shelby_hild at baylor.edu<mailto:shelby_hild at baylor.edu>


DALLAS – The No. 18 Baylor women’s basketball team (8-2) will take on its fourth top-25 opponent of the season on Sunday when it faces No. 20 Arizona (8-1) in the second annual Pac-12 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge at American Airlines Center.



Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. and airs nationally on ESPN2. A live radio broadcast<https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/oas-1459/content/baylor:allaccess-Live-3867?xd_co_f=NmY4NDJjMTgtYjYwMC00NjUzLWEwNDItY2Y4MTFiNWIzOWI3> on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM) is also available for fans, as well as live in-game updates via Twitter<https://twitter.com/BaylorWBB> or live stats<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=435290>.



LAST TIME OUT

Baylor posted a 93-27 win over Tennessee State inside the Ferrell Center on Thursday afternoon, holding the Tigers to just eight points in the final 20 minutes. The contest marked the second time this season, and second game in a row, that the Bears held their opponent to single digits in three of the four quarters.



BU saw four Bears reach double figures, led by freshman Darianna Littlepage-Buggs’ 30-point performance. She added a team- and game-high 11 rebounds for her fourth-career double-double. After missing the last month due to injury, senior Aijha Blackwell added 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench in just 10 minutes of action.



BUGGS MAKES BIG STATEMENT

With her 30-point, 11-rebound outing against Tennessee State, Littlepage-Buggs became the first Division I player in the country to outscore a Division I opponent by herself this season. Additionally, she became just the fourth in the Big 12 to do so since the turn of the century.



With her performance, Littlepage-Buggs became the first Big 12 and Baylor freshman to outscore an opponent by herself since Brittney Griner did so in 2009-10. The reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Week is just the third in the league to notch 30 points in a game this year and she’s the only rookie in the country averaging over nine boards a contest (9.3).



BALANCED EFFORT

Nine of the 13 players on BU’s roster have posted double figures in at least one contest this year, and five of them have recorded double-digit points in five or more games. Baylor is the only women’s team in the country with seven players averaging double figures led by Sarah Andrews and Aijha Blackwell, who are each averaging 13.3 points per contest. Andrews has posted double figures in all but two games this season, while Bella Fontleroy has notched double digits in six-straight games and eight out of 10 in 2022-23.



WINNING BIG

The 66-point margin of win over the Tigers on Thursday was the largest by BU this season and largest in the Nicki Collen era. The 93 points put up by the Bears were the most scored this season behind the 92-point output against Saint Louis (Nov. 25) and 91 outpouring against UT Arlington (Dec. 7). Additionally, it was the sixth time BU reached 90 in a game in the Collen era. The Bears currently rank first in the Big 12 and 10th nationally in scoring margin at 26.0.



SCOUTING ARIZONA

Arizona enters Sunday’s contest with an 8-1 overall record, suffering its only loss to Kansas, who jumped into the AP Top 25 Poll after the 77-50 victory over the Wildcats on Dec. 8. The game will be just the second neutral site contest for Arizona this season, as the Wildcats grabbed an 81-63 victory over Cal Baptist on Nov. 25 in San Diego, California.



The Wildcats rank T-10th nationally in scoring, averaging 84.0 points per game and are 12th in the country in scoring margin at 24.8. Arizona is the lone team in the Pac-12 with four players averaging at least 12.0 points per game. Shaina Pellington (13.6), Jade Loville (13.0), Esmery Martinez (12.2) and Cate Reese (12.1) are scoring in double figures.



COAST-TO-COAST CHALLENGE SCHEDULE

Session 1

Game 1 - Stanford vs. No. 7 Texas (men) - 12:00 p.m. CT

Game 2 – RV USC vs. RV Texas (women) - approx. 2:30 p.m. CT

Session 2

Game 3 – No. 20 Arizona vs. No. 18 Baylor (women) - 6:30 p.m. CT

Game 4 – Washington State vs. No. 11 Baylor (men) - approx. 9 p.m. CT



- BaylorBears<http://www.BaylorBears>.com -

--
Shelby Hild | Director of Communications (WBB, WTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-405-7591

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