Baylor Stages Stunning Fourth-Quarter Rally to Top Oklahoma State in Stillwater
STILLWATER, Okla. - Down 19 points late in the third quarter, Baylor women's basketball looked all but out of it. But what followed was one of the most dominant closing stretches you’ll see all season.
The No. 22 Bears stormed back with a 34-8 run - including a 29-8 fourth quarter - to stun Oklahoma State, 77-68, on the road Wednesday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
This was a comeback built on grit, poise, and some serious fourth-quarter firepower.
Baylor (12-3, 1-1 Big 12) came out strong, winning the tip and scoring the first four points of the game. They held a six-point edge late in the first quarter before Kayla Nelms knocked down a buzzer-beater to give the Bears a 16-14 lead after one.
But momentum shifted in the second. Oklahoma State (12-3, 1-1) went on a 9-0 run midway through the quarter to take a 33-24 lead. Baylor answered with a 7-0 burst of its own to close the half, trimming the deficit to just three at 35-32.
The third quarter, though, was all Cowgirls. Oklahoma State opened the second half on an 11-2 run and eventually pushed its lead to 60-41 - their largest margin of the game - with under two minutes to go in the period. At that point, it looked like the Bears were headed for their second straight conference loss.
But then the game flipped.
Before the third quarter ended, Ella Brow - making her first appearance in nearly a year after recovering from injury - checked in, and Yuting Deng capped the period with a buzzer-beating layup off a slick feed from Nelms. That cut the deficit to 12 heading into the fourth, and it was just the spark Baylor needed.
From there, the Bears caught fire.
Jana Van Gytenbeek drilled a three to kick off the final frame, followed by back-to-back layups from Nelms. Baylor forced a quick Oklahoma State timeout after opening the quarter on an 11-4 run. The defensive pressure intensified, the rebounding was cleaner, and the Bears started to dictate the tempo.
With 3:14 left, Van Gytenbeek hit another triple - this one giving Baylor a 66-64 lead, their first since the opening quarter. Less than two minutes later, she added a driving layup to cap a 14-0 run and stretch the lead to four. Baylor never looked back.
Let’s talk numbers.
Taliah Scott was the engine, pouring in 24 points on 5-of-8 shooting and a stellar 13-of-15 from the line. She played 35 minutes in her first full game back since an injury against Texas and looked every bit like the go-to scorer Baylor needs in tight moments.
Van Gytenbeek finished with 17 points, including four triples, and dished out eight assists in a floor-general performance that kept Baylor steady during the comeback. Nelms added 10 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting, along with eight rebounds and two assists - a true spark plug when the Bears needed energy.
Bella Fontleroy filled the stat sheet with six points, six boards, three assists, and three steals. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs chipped in six points and four rebounds before foul trouble limited her minutes. Kyla Abraham added five points off the bench, and Deng contributed four points, five rebounds, and two steals in a solid all-around effort.
For Oklahoma State, Jadyn Wooten led the way with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Achol Akot posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Micah Gray also scored 14.
But the fourth quarter told the story. Baylor shot a scorching 75% from the field (9-of-12) and locked in defensively, holding the Cowgirls to just 20% (3-of-15) in the final 10 minutes. Free throws were key, too - the Bears knocked down 80% from the stripe (20-of-25), while Oklahoma State managed just 64.7% (11-of-17).
This was a statement win for a Baylor team still finding its rhythm in Big 12 play. The Bears showed resilience, depth, and the kind of mental toughness that travels - which is good news, because they’re heading back on the road for a top-10 showdown with Iowa State on Sunday.
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN. If Wednesday’s comeback is any indication, the Bears are bringing momentum - and a whole lot of belief - with them.