No. 9 Baylor kept rolling Friday night, using a pair of quick strikes from Aryanna Jimison and another goal from freshman Brynnlee Bohannon to take down Kansas 3-1 at Betty Lou Mays Field.
Jimison delivered the night’s biggest punch, scoring Baylor’s first brace of the season with goals in the 45th and 47th minutes. Bohannon added insurance in the 68th minute, and that was enough to send the Bears to 10-1-1 on the year.
The result pushed Baylor’s unbeaten streak to nine games overall and six straight in Big 12 play, a run that dates back to last season. It also put the Bears into a first-place tie in the conference with Texas Tech and BYU at 3-0-1 after West Virginia handed Houston its first loss in league play.
Baylor did its damage against a Kansas team that had allowed only six goals coming into the match. The Bears struck first in the closing moments before halftime when Jimison finished an unassisted chance, then she came right back after the break and netted her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 47th minute, with Sydney Miller and Theresa McCullough credited with assists.
Bohannon’s goal came in the 68th minute from the top of the box, with Olivia Hess and McCullough picking up assists. That gave Hess and McCullough seven assists apiece on the season, tying them for the team lead.
Kansas got on the board in the 90th minute when Jillian Gregorski scored off a pass from Livvy Moore, but the Jayhawks never had enough time to threaten the finish.
The shot chart favored Kansas, 21-11, but Baylor made its chances count. Azul Alvarez finished with five saves in goal for the Bears, while Kansas keeper Sophie Dawe made six stops.
Head coach Michelle Lenard said the performance came together as the match wore on.
"Great result, [I'm] really happy with three points for conference. But I just thought the team played well from start to finish.
They executed the game plan really well. We didn't create nearly as many opportunities in the first half as we would have wanted, but we definitely muted their attack and the type of threats that we knew that they would come into this game with, and then made some halftime adjustments, and then you saw a much more potent attack most in the second half.
So I'm really proud of the team and thought we played well."
Baylor is back on the road next, heading to Colorado for an 8 p.m. CT kickoff on Thursday, Oct.
- The match will stream on ESPN+ with live updates on the team’s X account.
In Other News...
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A lopsided win over Arizona State gave Baylor exactly what it needed: momentum, confidence and a clearer sense that the offense is finally settling in. The Bears rolled to a 55-19 victory behind DJ Lagways career-high four touchdown passes, while the run game and offensive line both looked far more coordinated than they had earlier this season. The defense did its part, too, helping turn the afternoon into one of Baylors most complete performances of the year.
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Baylor Heads Into TCU With Real Momentum After Another Statement Win
Baylor rolled into Mountain America Stadium and kept its surge going with a 55-19 rout of Arizona State, extending its winning streak to four games and sharpening the sense that this team has found its footing. DJ Lagway was central to it all, throwing four touchdown passes and adding another on the ground, while the Bears defense continued to do work on the other side of the ball by holding ASU to 20 points or less for the fifth straight game.
The result gives Baylor a real sense of momentum as it heads into the TCU matchup, where the stakes figure to rise quickly. Wins like this do more than pad a record, because they reinforce the kind of balance Baylor wants heading into a tougher stretch, with the offense producing in bursts and the defense setting a steady tone. [Read more 🡒]