BaylorBears.com TEMPE, Ariz – It’s clear that no single player can substitute for Baylor junior forward Dariana Littlepage-Buggs. A collective team effort is essential.
After the team’s “engine” was disqualified at the 3:24 mark in the second quarter for a technical foul due to fighting, along with Arizona State’s Kennedy Fauntleroy, the remaining Bears banded together and maintained a lead over the Sun Devils for a 78-59 triumph on Saturday at the Desert Financial Arena.
“I thought Buggs being absent allowed everyone to reset a little,” stated Baylor coach
Nicki Collen, whose team achieved its third consecutive win, improving to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play, marking the best conference beginning in four years under Collen. “When you lose someone like Buggs, and then the whole situation unfolds, I felt Sarah (Andrews) steadied us in the third quarter by stepping up and making shots.”
In a “notable 13 minutes” of play, Littlepage-Buggs was among five players scoring in double figures for Baylor, concluding with 12 points and five rebounds, shooting 5-of-6 from the field.
“She is someone we anticipated would have an advantage on the offensive rebounds in a matchup like this; we knew she would get rim-run layups. She excels at all those aspects,” Collen noted. “To have her taken out of the equation was challenging. Clearly, they also had players who were removed from the game. Nevertheless, any victory on the road is significant in this conference.”
Besides Fauntleroy, the Sun Devils (8-9, 2-3) also lost Jyah LoVett and Heavenly Greer when they exited the bench following the altercation between Littlepage-Buggs and Fauntleroy, who managed nine points in 15 minutes.
“I was proud of Buggs for not becoming involved,” Collen remarked. “To be disqualified when she didn’t truly engage and was merely protecting herself is difficult. I’m really proud of her. I applaud our bench for remaining composed, as that can significantly affect many factors.”
Andrews, who tallied 11 of her team-leading 16 points in the third quarter, remarked that Littlepage-Buggs is “somebody who brings enthusiasm every single day.”
“She’s the type of player you want on your squad,” said Andrews, breaking the program record with her 149
th career game. “You wish to be on her team, not the opposite. It was the next player up. Yaya (Felder) came in and made waves. You saw Aliyah (Matharu); you saw Kyla (Abraham). There were numerous individuals who came together, stepped up, and supported Buggs.”
Guided by Littlepage-Buggs and Colorado transfer
Aaronette Vonleh, who registered 16 of the team’s first 20 points, the Bears established a double-digit lead in the first quarter and expanded it to as much as 20 early in the second.
However, ASU mounted a 15-2 surge and narrowed the gap to 40-33 on a 3-pointer by Tyi Skinner with 3:14 remaining in the first half. Baylor managed to regain a double-digit lead, 44-33, through layups by Felder and Matharu, who scored 14 points after previously totaling just four in her initial three games with the team.
“There’s never been any doubt regarding her ability to contribute,” Collen stated about Matharu, the SEC’s second-leading scorer from the previous year at Florida. “Sometimes confidence stems from opportunity. Confidence grows from understanding what you’re meant to do on the court. I believe she’s starting to feel more at ease with our offensive and defensive schemes.”
Clearly in the zone, Andrews netted three 3-pointers, accumulating 11 points in the initial 3 ½ minutes of the third quarter, extending the lead back to a 20-point advantage, 57-37, on a trey with 6:51 remaining in the period.
Baylor achieved its greatest lead of the contest, 66-45, with a Matharu 3-pointer to kick off the fourth quarter. ASU closed the gap to 13 before the Bears finished the game with a 6-0 spurt, featuring a couple of free throws by Felder, along with baskets by
Bella Fontleroy and Vonleh, who scored eight of her 12 points in the opening quarter.
Felder constituted the final of the Bears’ double-digit scorers, accumulating 13 points and seven rebounds, while
Jada Walker contributed five points, seven boards, and six assists. Jalynn Brown recorded 21 points and Skinner added 13 for ASU, which slipped to an 8-9 and 2-3 record.
The Bears will make their way back home for consecutive matches at Foster Pavilion, facing 22
nd-ranked Utah (13-3, 4-1) at 11 p.m. on Tuesday and Houston (4-12, 0-5) at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 17.