No. 18 Baylor WBB’s 13 3-Pointers Thump Kansas State, 80-54

[Pirtle, Colin]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 23, 2026

No. 18 Baylor WBB’s 13 3-Pointers Thump Kansas State, 80-54
Bears post 26-point win before final regular season test at No. 11 TCU
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu

WACO, Texas – No. 18 Baylor women’s basketball never trailed as they rolled past Kansas State, 80-54, powered by a dominant third-quarter performance that featured seven 3-pointers. The Bears placed three in double figures, led by Taliah Scott’s 20, Bella Fontleroy’s 16 and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs’ 10 points on Monday night.

Scott and Kiersten Johnson got the Bears rolling, knocking down back-to-back triples to open the scoring. BU built on the early momentum with a layup from Jana Van Gytenbeek, stretching the lead to 10-2.

Kansas State began to chip away at the early Baylor lead, but a Fontleroy layup kept the margin intact. After a brief scoring drought, Littlepage-Buggs halted the lull with a jumper and an and-one to steady the Bears. BU locked in defensively down the stretch, forcing three turnovers and holding the Wildcats scoreless for 3:07 to close the first quarter with a 19-13 advantage.

Van Gytenbeek and Marcayla Johnson opened up the second in a similar fashion, hitting two from beyond the arc to jump-start the scoring. Marcayla Johnson continued to make her impact off the bench, scoring a jumper to keep the lead at eight.

Yuting Deng extended the margin to double digits with a jumper, but it was quickly answered on the other end. Both teams then went cold for nearly three minutes, each going 0-for-5 during the stretch, until Scott drained her second three of the game to snap the drought and send Baylor into the break with a 35-26 lead.

Littlepage-Buggs opened the second half by securing her 12th double-double of the season with a layup. Riding that momentum, Fontleroy knocked down a three and Kiersten Johnson converted in the paint, pushing the BU lead to 42-28 early in the half.

Fontleroy stayed hot from beyond the arc, knocking down her second and third consecutive threes to spark an 11-0 Baylor run, highlighted by three Wildcat turnovers. A KSU layup briefly halted the surge, but Scott responded in a hurry, drilling three triples in a minute and a half to bring her total to five on the night. The Bears’ seven threes of the quarter created a 60-40 BU advantage heading into the final quarter.

The Bears carried their second-half momentum into the fourth, opening the quarter on a 6-0 run before the teams traded baskets. Deng came off the bench and buried Baylor’s 13th 3-pointer of the night. Kayla Nelms and Kiera Pemberton added points in the paint to cap the regular-season home slate with a dominant 80-54 victory.

Baylor wraps up regular season play in Fort Worth on Sunday, traveling up I-35 to face conference rival TCU at 3 p.m. The matchup will air live on ESPN and the Baylor Sports Media Network, with ESPN’s College GameDay starting the day’s coverage at 10 a.m. CT.

Baylor women's basketball is presented by Central National Bank, a family-owned, independent bank headquartered in Waco, Texas, that provides uniquely personal service while simultaneously embracing the latest developments in banking technology.

To stay up to date, follow the team on its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorWBB.

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

_________________________________________
Colin Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (WBB, Soccer, W. Tennis)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 940-564-0351



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




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