The University of Arizona women’s basketball team will host its second Big 12 conference home game as the Wildcats face Baylor University on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. in McKale Center. Arizona (11-5, 2-1 in Big 12) recently defeated the University of Central Florida on the road in a dominating 75-53 victory on Jan. 4.
Baylor (12-3, 2-1 Big 12) has won eight of its last nine games, most recently picking up its first conference win at home on Jan. 4 against the University of Colorado 76-62. Prior to that matchup, the Bears fell in a crushing 84-61 defeat against Oklahoma State University on Jan. 1, ending their seven-game win streak to close out 2024.
History vs. Baylor
The two teams have faced off three times, with Arizona holding a 3-0 record over the Bears. The first meeting occurred on Dec. 22, 1981, where the Wildcats came out victorious, 80-76. Arizona repeated the feat years later on Dec. 29, 1997, 86-73. The last time the two programs met was back on Dec. 18, 2022, with Arizona cruising to a 75-54 victory.
Baylor players to watch
Baylor is led by fourth year head coach Nicki Collen. In her first year leading the team, she guided the Bears to 28 wins, the most in a season by a rookie head coach. Collen also won the Bears 12th consecutive Big 12 regular season title and a top two seed in the NCAA tournament for their 11th year in a row.
Leading the Bears is junior guard Darianna Littlepage-Buggs. The 2023 Big 12 Freshman of the Year is having a career year, averaging a double-double with a team-leading 14.5 points and conference-leading 10.6 rebounds. Additionally, she holds her ground defensively, grabbing 1.3 steals and 1.1 rejections.
In a 71-64 win over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Dec. 8, Littlepage-Buggs finished the game with 21 points and 20 rebounds alongside three assists to go with her name. The last time a women’s college basketball player put up a 20-20 performance was back on Feb. 16, 2023, when Louisiana State University forward Angel Reese finished with 36 points and 20 boards in a 69-60 victory over Ole Miss University.
Littlepage-Buggs’ backcourt mate is Jada Walker. Walker, the senior guard, is highly efficient from the floor, shooting a career high 42.9 percent from deep and 47.1 percent overall. Walker, who plays the most minutes per game at 31.1, averages 12.3 points, 5.3 assists. She also leads the team in takeaways with 1.6 per game.
With Baylor playing at the second fastest pace in the Big 12 (74.3), behind ASU (76.1), and leading the conference in total rebounds a game averaging 44.2, the Bears rank last in free throw percentage, shooting just 67.2 percent.
Wildcats to watch
Arizona is led by head coach Adia Barnes, now in her ninth year at the helm. Barnes, the 2021 Naismith Coach of the Year Semifinalist, led the Wildcats to 18 wins in the 2023-2024 season, which earned the team their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
A significant part of the Wildcat offense comes from sophomore Breya Cunningham. Cunningham leads the team in almost every statistical category, averaging 12.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, nearly two blocks per game while shooting 65.4 percent.
In a 75-53 road win against UCF, Cunningham finished the night with 15 points, five boards and four rejections, shooting an efficient 77.8 percent from the floor.
Another notable Wildcat to watch for is standout and Big 12 Freshman of the Week Lauryn Swann. While the freshman guard averages 8.1 points shooting 45.7 percent from the field, she has the ability to have breakout games.
In the Wildcats matchup on Dec. 31 against the University of Utah, Swann dropped a team-leading 22 points on 72.7 shooting in a crushing 69-48 loss to the Utes.
A key player for Arizona sophomore guard Jada Williams. Williams averages 11.7 points, a team-leading 1.9 steals and three assists per game. Despite shooting 33.9 percent from the field, her defensive prowess and playmaking abilities make her stand out on the court.
In her last four games, Williams has averaged 15.3 points a game, four assists and 1.5 takeaways. The Wildcats rely on Williams for crucial baskets in late-game situations, making her a huge asset to the team.
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