Women's basketball: Baylor clamps down to continue dominance over Texas Tech
For the second Saturday in a row, the Texas Tech women's basketball team couldn't get going against one of the Big 12 Conference's top defenses.
Baylor extended its dominance in the series with a 79-59 victory at United Supermarkets Arena, holding the Lady Raiders to 31.3% shooting. The Bears won their 27th meeting in a row, dating back to 2011.
Tech coach Krista Gerlich, who on the sideline donned the black No. 21 jersey from her playing days, said the team responded to Baylor's pressure with an uncharacteristic approach on offense. That spoiled Tech's celebration of the 1993 NCAA champion team, which was honored in front of 8,235 fans at halftime as part of "alumni weekend."
"I hate that we didn't play better," Gerlich said. "But you've got to credit that to Baylor. Baylor's a good basketball team. Their guards are really, really tough, and (Caitlin) Bickle plays really well on the inside for them. I just feel like we did not attack them as well as we should have early. We let a few broken plays or no-calls, or whatever it might've been, kind of get to us early and kind of made us a little bit timid."
Baylor (14-6 overall, 5-3 conference) had five players score in double figures, led by 16 points apiece from Jaden Owens and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs. Caitlin Bickle, who added 12 rebounds, followed with 14 points. Gerlich called the 6-foot-1 post Bickle "one of the best players in the conference."
"I can't say enough about Caitlin Bickle and what she brings to this team," Bears coach Nicki Collen said. "She tells everyone what to do all the time. She's the ultimate safety on defense and quarterback on offense. She's just always there."
Tech (15-6, 3-5) has lost consecutive games for the first time since starting conference play 0-2. Bre'Amber Scott led the team with 22 points on 7-of-23 shooting. It was the senior's sixth 20-point outing in the past seven games.
Baylor entered having allowed 57.4 points per game, best in the Big 12.
"I think we stayed pretty dialed-in most of the game to knowing our personnel (matchup)," Collen said," and what they did, who to help off of, who to stay closed down on."
Tech cut its deficit to three by scoring the first seven points of the third quarter. But the offense went cold as Baylor countered with an 8-1 run to pump its lead back to double digits. In fact, the Lady Raiders had a stretch of 14 consecutive missed field goals.
By the time Jazmaine Lewis ended the drought, which lasted 7 minutes, 13 seconds, the Bears led 53-40.
"There's a discipline factor there, that you panic a little bit when things aren't falling or things aren't easy," Gerlich said. "And things are not going to be easy in the Big 12. … The last two games, I feel like we just haven't had that same discipline and composure that we had in that (Texas) game."
A week after 20 turnovers in a 10-point loss to West Virginia, the Lady Raiders committed 10 in the first half. Combined with 35.5% shooting, Tech trailed 36-26 at halftime.
The Lady Raiders also had trouble corralling Sarah Andrews, one of the Big 12's top scorers. Andrews connected on three 3-pointers as part of 11 points in the first two quarters. She finished with 13 points.
Bickle had five rebounds and eight points for the Bears, who had four players at the break with five-plus points.
Scott led Tech with 10 points on 5-of-16 shooting, with Jasmine Shavers adding nine in the first 20 minutes. Shavers finished with 19 points, the only other Lady Raider to score more than four.
Tech travels to face Oklahoma State on the road Wednesday. The Cowgirls took on Texas late Saturday in Austin.
"As a coaching staff, I think that we've got to do a better job, and particularly me, of just kind of simplifying things for them," Gerlich said. "Really looking at where we need to attack people … and not panicking and trying to go to quick-hitters or trying to abandon what we do."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Women's basketball: Baylor clamps down to top Texas Tech
