No. 13 Baylor soccer needed just one goal, and that was enough to finish off TCU 1-0 on Friday night at Betty Lou Mays Field in front of a record-setting Blackout on the Brazos crowd of 1,509.
The result pushed Baylor to 12-2-1 overall and kept the Bears rolling at home, where they have now won seven straight. In Big 12 play, BU sits tied for first with Kansas, Texas Tech and BYU at 16 points apiece. TCU dropped to 5-7-1 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
The night also brought a new attendance benchmark. The previous record at Betty Lou Mays Field was 1,373, set in 2018 - a game that also ended with Baylor beating TCU, 1-0.
Aryanna Jimison delivered the decisive moment in the 26th minute. After a video review spotted a handball, Baylor earned a penalty kick, and TCU goalkeeper Olivia Geller stopped the initial try. Jimison stayed with it and buried the rebound for her seventh goal of the season, giving Baylor the only score it would need.
Baylor’s attack finished with a 14-12 shot edge, with both teams taking seven shots in each half. TCU, though, landed more attempts on target, 7-5. Jimison paced all players with five shots, including two on goal, while Brynnlee Bohannon added three.
The Horned Frogs kept coming late, especially after the break, when they put up seven second-half shots. Azul Alvarez handled the pressure and produced a season-high seven saves for the shutout, with four coming in the second half. Geller finished with four saves.
TCU also held the edge in corner kicks, 8-4, and committed 11 fouls to Baylor’s seven. Both teams picked up one yellow card.
Baylor now turns to its final regular-season road trip, starting at Arizona State at 8 p.m. CT Thursday, Oct.
- The Bears then head to Arizona for a 1 p.m. matchup the following Sunday.
Head coach Michelle Lenard said TCU came out fast before Baylor settled in.
"[TCU was] pressing, they came with a lot of energy and it did take us a minute to figure things out and settle down, but we did. After 20 minutes into the first half, we started to find some possessions, circulate the ball, find the holes that were there. And I thought, after that, we did a really good job … and then the crowd, great crowd tonight."
Lenard also praised the atmosphere created by the Baylor faithful.
"It was a great turnout. Everybody in black looked great up there.
Big energy, really made a difference for the team. Got to witness some exciting moments.
Really happy for the Waco community and the Baylor students to come out and support our team. Really meant a lot to us tonight."
A senior forward echoed that feeling after the match.
"It was honestly such a blessing to have everybody come out and support us tonight. It was great. We prayed that the crowd would be here, we prayed for their safety and for them to cheer us on tonight, and we were so glad that they came out."
She also spoke about her connection with senior forward Theresa McCullough.
"Man, that's my twin, for real. We know each other like the back of our hands.
I know when she's going to run, she knows when I'm going to run. She knows when to slip, when not to slip it, we just know each other so well, and it's super fun playing with her.
I wouldn't want to play with anybody else, seriously."
In Other News...
Baylor Could Benefit From A CFP Shift Fans May Not Love
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For Bears fans, the upside is obvious because more spots should mean more chances to stay in the hunt deep into November. But the broader concern is harder to ignore, since a wider playoff can also dull some of the urgency that makes the regular season matter so much. Baylor would likely see the benefits of the shift, yet the sport may have to decide whether the extra inclusion is worth what gets lost along the way. [Read more 🡒]
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For Baylor, the most relevant subplot is the continued rise of the quarterback play that has given the Bears a real pulse in league play. The offense has leaned on a young passer who has settled in quickly, and after his last outing he has started to look like someone defenses have to account for every snap. How he handles the next step will matter not just for Baylor's immediate ceiling, but for how seriously the rest of the Big 12 has to treat the Bears in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Revivalry Gut Check With Baylor Gaining Ground
TCU comes out of its bye week facing a Baylor team that has quietly built real momentum in Big 12 play, and the matchup now has a very different look than it did a few weeks ago. The Horned Frogs are trying to steady a season that has started with a 2-3 record and an 0-2 conference mark, while Baylor arrives at 4-1 overall and unbeaten in league play, a contrast that has already shaped the discussion around the rivalry game.
Inside the staff predictions, the lean was clear, with most picks landing on Baylor and only a few sticking with TCU. Still, this series has a long memory, and TCUs edge in the all-time matchup hangs over a rivalry that has often ignored records and expectations. Baylor has the better current resume, but the question in this one is whether that gap is enough to change the familiar script when the teams finally line up again. [Read more 🡒]