No. 12 Baylor Falls to No. 17 TCU as Second-Half Surge Seals It for Horned Frogs
WACO, Texas - For a while, it looked like Baylor might wrestle back control. Taliah Scott was cooking, the crowd at Foster Pavilion was engaged, and the Bears had clawed their way back from an early deficit.
But when the dust settled, it was No. 17 TCU walking out with an 83-67 win over No.
12 Baylor, snapping the Bears' momentum and delivering a statement in Big 12 play.
Scott poured in 22 points on the night, and in the process, etched her name into the record books. With a trio of free throws in the second quarter, the sophomore guard hit the 1,000-point milestone - becoming just the 22nd player since 2000 to reach that mark in 48 games or fewer. That puts her in elite company, tied for 19th all-time in fewest games needed to hit 1K.
She had help, too. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Jana Van Gytenbeek each added 14 points.
Littlepage-Buggs did her usual damage inside, grabbing a team-high five boards and scoring in the paint with her trademark physicality. Van Gytenbeek, meanwhile, was orchestrating the offense with precision, handing out a game-high six assists and knocking down four threes to keep Baylor within striking distance - at least for a while.
But TCU came out with energy and execution, striking first with back-to-back buckets to open the game. Baylor answered with a 9-0 run of its own, capped by a Littlepage-Buggs finish that gave the Bears a brief lead.
That momentum was short-lived. The Horned Frogs responded with an 11-0 burst to close the first quarter, flipping the script and taking a 21-12 lead into the second.
Baylor showed fight in the second quarter, with Scott leading the charge. She hit her second three of the night to cut the lead back to single digits, then knocked down three free throws to reach her milestone and bring Baylor within six. Her third three of the half pulled the Bears to within four at the break, 36-32, and the energy in the building suggested we were in for a tight finish.
But TCU had other plans.
The Horned Frogs opened the third quarter with a pair of threes to stretch the lead, and though Baylor answered inside - with Littlepage-Buggs converting twice at the rim - TCU’s perimeter shooting continued to punish the Bears. Van Gytenbeek tried to keep Baylor close with back-to-back threes of her own, trimming the gap to six again, but the Bears' offense sputtered late in the quarter. Meanwhile, TCU stayed hot from deep, ending the third up 61-48.
Any hopes of a Baylor comeback were quickly dashed in the fourth. Bella Fontleroy opened the quarter with a tough finish through contact, trying to spark a rally, but TCU slammed the door with a 9-0 run that effectively put the game out of reach.
It was a tough night for a Baylor team that’s been trending upward, but there’s no time to dwell. The Bears head to Florida next, where they’ll take on UCF this Sunday at 1 p.m.
CT. That one will air on ESPN+ and the Baylor Sports Media Network.
For Baylor, the loss stings - but there were bright spots. Scott’s milestone is a testament to her consistency and scoring prowess, and Van Gytenbeek’s playmaking continues to be a steadying force. The Bears will look to regroup and bounce back quickly as the Big 12 race tightens.