Baylor’s early-season schedule keeps moving fast, and the Bears will get another chance to show what this 2-0 start really means with a pair of games in the Nov. 9-15 window.
First up is Yale on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Waco at Foster Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
CT. Baylor then heads to San Antonio for a Sunday, Nov. 15 matchup with Texas at Frost Bank Center, with that one scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
CT.
Through two games, Baylor has looked every bit the part of a team that can wear opponents down on both ends. The Bears have already handled Northwestern State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff with authority, controlling the action from the opening tip in both games.
Against APB, Baylor tied a school record with 21 steals, and Dylan Mingo led the way defensively with a game-high six steals. Kayden Mingo also stood out, using his athleticism to get downhill, attack the rim and get to the free-throw line.
Isaac Williams IV added a career-high performance off the bench, scoring 26 of Baylor’s 109 points.
Yale arrives in Waco having played just one game, but the Bulldogs made their presence felt on the glass with 51 rebounds. Riley Fox, a 6-foot-6 forward, is the player to watch after leading Yale with 19 points in its opener.
Courtney Wallace and Daniel Ogunyemi each grabbed 11 rebounds, and Baylor’s biggest early issue remains its perimeter shooting. The Bears are 14-for-58 from 3-point range, a 24.1% clip that has not been sharp so far, though the expectation is that number will improve as the season goes on.
Even with that wrinkle, Baylor’s pressure and physicality should make things difficult for Yale.
Texas presents a much bigger test. The Longhorns have opened hot, averaging 103.5 points per game while shooting 61.7% from the field. They’ve also been dangerous from deep, hitting 43.2% of their 3s, which means Baylor’s defense will have to stay locked in while chasing shooters around the perimeter.
Matas Vokietaitis has been a major force inside for Texas. The 7-foot center is averaging 19 points per game on 88.2% shooting, and when the ball gets to him down low, he’s been finishing at a high rate. He’s one of six Texas players averaging 9 points per game or better, a sign of the depth Baylor will have to deal with in San Antonio.
Williams gives Baylor another scoring option off the bench after a slower opening game against Northwestern State. That makes Sunday’s matchup look like the Bears’ first real measuring stick of the season, and a chance to land a statement win against a top-10 opponent.
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The performance stood out beyond just the result, too, because Rakhmanchik's 32 kills were the most by any Big 12 player this season and matched her career high. Baylor is now 14-8 overall and 6-6 in league play, and while there is still work to do, this was the kind of road win that can change the feel around a team heading deeper into conference play. [Read more 🡒]