WBB Kicks Off Big 12 Adventure with Showdown at Kansas This Saturday

	NR/21 BAYLOR BEARS (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)	NR/21 BAYLOR (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (10-1, 0-0 Big 12) Dec. 21, 2024 • 4:00 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)  LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN+ TALENT: Dave Stewart (pxp), Wayne Simien (analyst) LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via FOX Sports Radio 93.9FM in Central Texas and globally at centexsportsfan.com. Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Lori Fogleman (analyst) Baylor Social Media:
	KANSAS JAYHAWKS (10-1, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Lawrence, Kan. Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Brandon Schneider (Wayland Baptist, 1995) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)

Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
WACO, Texas – Nicki Collen did not need to revisit the footage from the “train wreck” of last year’s 87-66 defeat at Kansas that removed the Baylor women from the ranks of the unbeaten.
 
“It’s deeply etched in my memory,” remarked Collen, whose Bears (10-2) are set to commence Big 12 Conference action this year with another away game in Lawrence, Kan., against the Jayhawks (10-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
 
“For anyone who participated in that game last year over there, there should be some drive, without a doubt. However, I believe it’s fundamentally about, what are our objectives? This marks the initial step toward that objective. It’s their first step as well. I don’t think their ambitions differ from ours. I perceive it as a face-off between two very capable teams.”
 
Of the eight current Big 12 squads that participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Baylor and Kansas were forecasted to finish third and eighth, correspondingly, in the Big 12 coaches’ preseason ranking and are both entering the league opener on six-game winning streaks.
 
In the previous encounter, Baylor had a nine-point lead midway through the second quarter, but the Bears converted only one of their final eleven attempts in the half as the Jayhawks executed a prolonged 16-0 surge and then outperformed in the third quarter, 26-10.
 
“Thanks for the delightful memories,” Collen expressed when asked about the game. “A year ago, we were undeniably rolling against them. They shifted to a zone defense, and we had three or four good shots consecutively yet missed. Then, we failed to close out that half effectively. They managed to regroup, and wow, that third quarter was a catastrophe for us.”
 
Among the most uniformly skilled teams in the nation, the Bears boast five active players recording double-digit scoring averages. Junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is posting an impressive double-double with 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, followed by Colorado transfer Aaronette Vonleh (14.2 ppg) and guards Jada Walker (12.2 ppg, 5.6 assists), Sarah Andrews (11.7 ppg, 5.6 assists) and Yaya Felder (11.2 ppg).
 
Even though sharing point guard responsibilities with Walker, Andrews is on track to smash her previous record of 4.5 assists per game (2021-22).
 
“The more she plays the point, the more the ball is in her possession, the more assists will come her way,” Collen stated. “I believe her assists truly flourish when she is alongside Yaya and (Waiata Jennings), with Yaya and Bella (Fontleroy), she has shooters spreading the floor for her.”
 
Conversely, Kansas significantly relies on the tandem of 6-0 sophomore guard S’Mya Nichols (21.1 ppg, 4.9 assists) and 6-3 junior Elle Evans (13.4 ppg).
 
“S’Mya is leading the conference in scoring, S’Mya leads in free throws made and attempted, and she gets to the charity stripe more than anyone else in the nation,” Collen remarked. “They will play near the center and apply pressure on you. She’ll throw her body around trying to draw fouls, and she’s remarkably skilled at it.”
 
While Baylor brings back four of its starters from last year’s matchup against Kansas, Jennings, Vonleh and 6-1 freshman Kayla Nelms are all set to play in their inaugural Big 12 contest. This game could mark the Baylor debut of Florida transfer Aliyah Matharu, who averaged 19.0 points per game in the previous year.
 
“I’m genuinely thrilled,” stated Jennings, who achieved a season-high 11 points in Wednesday’s 97-34 victory over Utah Tech. “As we approach the Kansas matchup, we are eager to start strong, which boosts our confidence moving forward. I believe we accomplished that. Our defense was exceptionally dominating.”
 
Saturday’s game will be available through ESPN+, with Dave Stewart and former Kansas men’s basketball All-American Wayne Simien providing commentary.

Game notes

• Baylor begins conference action at Kansas on Saturday afternoon, facing the Jayhawks for the seventh occasion under head coach Nicki Collen. 

• The 2024-25 season marks the seventh consecutive conference opener on the road.in the previous decade and marks the first instance in the 43-year history of WBB in the NCAA that the Bears’ conference opener takes place prior to Christmas. 

• Saturday’s game marks the 50th encounter between Baylor and Kansas, tracing back to the 1978 season. As founding members of the Big 12, these two squads have faced off at least once each season since 1996-97. 

• BU finished with a 10-2 overall non-conference schedule, achieving perfection at home during the inaugural season of non-con games at Foster Pavilion. The only losses occurred at Oregon and against Indiana in The Bahamas. Before the postseason begins, a final non-conference clash is set against UCLA during the first Coretta Scott King Classic on Jan. 20 in Newark, N.J.

• Baylor maintains a historical advantage over the Jayhawks, holding a 40-9 record prior to the 50th showdown between the two schools. 

• BU has triumphed in 20 of the previous 21 encounters, with KU securing a victory in Lawrence last season. Before the 87-77 success by the Jayhawks last January, Kansas had not bested the Bears since Jan. 19, 2014. 

• KU boasts a 3-1 record against major four rivals in non-conference play, defeating Penn State, Auburn, and Pitt, with their sole defeat this season coming against Iowa, 71-58. 

• Preseason All-Big 12 honoree S’Mya Nichols leads Kansas with an average of 21.1 points per game, while leading rebounder Regan Williams contributes an average of 6.4 per game. 

• The Bears hold an 18-6 record in Big 12 Conference openers since the 2000-21 campaign, with an 8-6 mark in that time frame for lid-lifters on the road.

• Last year, No. 10 BU commenced conference action on the road against Texas, achieving an 85-79 victory over the No. 5 Longhorns. This marked Baylor’s 14th consecutive win in the state capital of the Lone Star State. 

• Baylor remains undefeated in conference openers against KU, boasting a 2-0 record. 

• Baylor concluded its non-conference home slate with an 8-0 record, achieving the second consecutive and third overall unbeaten non-conference home season in the fourth year of the Nicki Collen era.

• BU has a 19-game winning streak in regular season non-conference home contests, with the last loss occurring on Nov. 20, 2022, against then-No. 19 Maryland, 73-68, at the Ferrell Center. 

• The 2024-25 season featured the initial non-conference schedule at the newly built Foster Pavilion, following the opening of the facility for conference play in 2023-24. 

• Junior Darianna Littlepage-Buggs boasts an average double-double (15.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg) across 12 games this season, with 10 performances scoring in double figures, including three outings with over 20 points.

• While competing against UNLV, Littlepage-Buggs became the eighth Bear to achieve a 20-point, 20-rebound game, recording 21 points along with 20 rebounds. She joins the ranks of Debbie Polk, Maggie Davis Stinnett, Danielle Crockrom, Sophia Young-Malcolm, Brittney Griner, Kalani Brown, and NaLyssa Smith, with Smith being the most recent to accomplish a 20/20 game against Iowa State during the 2021-22 season. 

• She has set new personal records this season in rebounds (20 vs UNLV), assists (five vs New Orleans), steals (five vs Utah Tech), three-pointers (two vs UIW), and free throws made (10 vs ETAMU). Buggs has also matched or established new career-highs in attempts across all three shooting categories. 

• A dominant presence on the boards, Littlepage-Buggs ranks among the top 10 nationally in rebounds and rebounds per game, and is one of 18 players with at least six double-doubles (as of the games on Dec. 16).

• BU achieved a significant victory over the Utah Tech Trailblazers, finishing 97-34.

• The Bears attracted an audience of 6,149, the second-largest women’s basketball turnout at Foster Pavilion, for Future Bears Day. 

• Baylor forced the lowest-scoring game in Utah Tech’s history, surpassing the previous record of 35 points set against Oregon (11/14/22).

• BU held Utah Tech scoreless from the field for 10:02 of play, from 7:05 in the first quarter until 7:03 in the second. During this stretch, the only point scored came from a free throw attempt.

• Yaya Felder led the Bears’ scoring for the third time this season, notching 18 points, including four from beyond the arc. She also collected four rebounds and dished out six assists in 27 minutes.