Other Sports

Egbo, Smith double-doubles as No. 7 Baylor women get in 1st

Posted February 16, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith, left, reaches for the ball while Queen Egbo, right, becomes entangled with TCU center Kayla Mokwuah during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

WACO, Texas (AP) - Queen Egbo and NaLyssa Smith keep doubling up for seventh-ranked Baylor, which has gotten to the top of the Big 12 standings for the first time this season.

Egbo had 22 points and 13 rebounds in her third consecutive double-double, and Smith had her 17th of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Bears finished strong, extending their three-decade winning streak over TCU with an 80-55 victory Wednesday night.

Baylor (20-5, 10-3 Big 12), with five league games remaining, is now tied for the conference lead after sixth-ranked Iowa State (21-4, 10-3) lost at No. 14 Texas on Wednesday night. The Bears have won the last 11 Big 12 titles, but under new coach Nicki Collen lost their first two conference games back in January.

'œI'm grateful to be back where we control our own destiny. That's the big thing,'ť Collen said. 'œWhen you start 0-2, you know you're going to need help. We've been pretty good since we were 0-2, but you still need help. This puts us back in the driver's seat in terms of controlling our own destiny.'ť

Jordan Lewis added 14 points for the Bears and Ja'Mee Asberry had 11 points.

TCU (6-16, 2-11) has lost 32 consecutive games in the series against the Bears since 1990, and plays them again Saturday. The Horned Frogs are 0-20 against Baylor since joining the Big 12 for the 2012-13 season.

Lauren Heard had 18 points for TCU, which lost its eighth consecutive game this season and is 1-8 on the road.

'œOur team, for pretty much three quarters, played pretty sound, good basketball, and they went on a bit of a run there and we got a little low distracted in it,'ť TCU coach Raegan Pebley said. 'œBut that's part of our growth and our process that we'll embrace and get better from.'ť

Egbo had eight points when the Bears closed the first half with a 13-2 run, and never trailed again. She had three consecutive baskets to take Baylor from a 28-23 deficit to a 29-28 lead.

TCU tied the game twice in the third quarter, the last at 42-all on Michelle Berry's jumper in the paint with 5:09 left. Lewis then hit two 3-pointers as part of a 17-5 run that included the Lady Bears scoring the last nine points of the quarter.

'œWe knew it would come. We had confidence in each other we definitely knew it would come,'ť Egbo said of the late run. 'œBut second half, it was kind of where we decided we were going to separate ourselves from them.'ť

BIG PICTURE

TCU: After staying close with Baylor until late in the third quarter, TCU would up with its fourth consecutive double-digit loss in conference play - and third in a row by at least 23 points. ... TCU was outscored 47-25 after halftime. The Frogs had 17 turnovers that led to 22 points for Baylor.

Baylor: The Bears reached 20 wins for the 22nd season in a row. ... Baylor had 26 assists on its 32 made baskets, and had only five turnovers.

'œWhat I'm most proud of is 26 assists and five turnovers. We just didn't turn the basketball over,'ť Collen said.

UP NEXT

After the makeup Wednesday night of a game postponed Jan. 5 because of a COVID-19 pause in Baylor's program, TCU will be the home team Saturday when they play again. The Bears haven't lost in Fort Worth since Feb. 28, 1990, the last win by the Frogs in the series.

___

More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Baylor coach Nicki Collen reacts to a play against TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

TCU guard Okako Adika, left, fouls Baylor center Queen Egbo, right, while driving to the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

Baylor center Queen Egbo, left, scores over TCU center Kayla Mokwuah during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

TCU guard Okako Adika, right, shoots over Baylor forward Caitlin Bickle during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

TCU guard Lauren Heard, right, sets up a shot over Baylor center Queen Egbo, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

TCU guard Okako Adika, left, controls the ball after a scramble with teammate Lauren Heard, right, and Baylor guard Jordan Lewis during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

TCU coach Raegan Pebley cheers on the team during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Baylor on Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith, left, is fouled by TCU forward Yummy Morris while driving the baseline during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.