Baylor determined to bounce back against Colorado as Vonleh faces former team

Baylor head coach Nicki Collen gave herself 36 hours to think about Wednesdays loss to Oklahoma State.

The Bears had their worst shooting game of the season, while the Cowgirls had the best shooting percentage for a Baylor opponent this year in the 23-point loss, the most lopsided loss since Collen was hired and the biggest home conference loss for the Bears since 1997.

But Collen knows herself well.

She wasnt going to get over it that easily.

I thought there were a lot of lessons from that game, Collen said.

I often say the film is never as bad or never as good as you think, and it was pretty bad.

That's probably why I stewed a little longer.

As Baylor prepares to close out its two-game home stand against Colorado on Saturday afternoon, Collen is focused on improving two things: First, letting the lack of offensive production influence the defense.

Despite trailing by just two points at halftime, the Bears made just 27% of their shots in the second half, while the Cowgirls shot 77% from the floor.

Second, being more disciplined with fouls.

Baylor had 23 team fouls, the third-highest in a game this season.

Center Aaronette Vonleh fouled out for the third time this season, while Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Bella Fontleroy both had four fouls.

I think the rest of it, we can get better at, Collen said.

We can be better in our ball-screen coverage.

We can be better at our execution.

We can do all those things.

Those two things were the big lessons from that game for me, for our team.

Baylor Basketball (W): Highlights vs.

Oklahoma State | January 1, 2025 // via BaylorAthletics on YouTube Senior guard Sarah Andrews has been around for five years, so she knows how to channel a loss and flush the bad parts while remembering what kind of team they were in the 20-point win at Kansas to open conference play.

You learn from it and you move on, she said.

Weve got to communicate more on defense, we had some mishaps.

Really, it was just about us getting back to being who we were from the Kansas game.

We kind of lost that, really.

A year ago, Baylor had won 14 games in a row when it traveled to face Kansas and lost by 20 points.

That was followed by a three-point loss at Iowa State that sent the Bears into a funk for more than a month.

After both previous losses this season, the Bears have responded with overwhelming wins.

With a group as senior and experienced as this years Baylor team and one that has been practicing against each other for the last few weeks, Collen expects the Bears to come out with an edge against the Buffaloes.

This team will come out and play hard, Collen said.

I was most happy with Sarah Andrews' response in practice yesterday.

I think she competed at a high level.

Everything was competitive yesterday.

Vonlehs Colorado reunion Saturday will be the first time Vonleh will be going up against her former Buffalo teammates.

The senior center transferred to Baylor in the offseason after spending the last two seasons at Colorado.

She was an All-Pac-12 selection last season, leading the Buffaloes to the NCAA Tournament by averaging a team-high 14 points per game.

Whenever you transfer, you always want to dominate the school you came from and show them why you went where you went, Andrews said.

She came here to win and to hang a championship (banner).

So, I think this game is going to be personal for her.

Vonleh started her college career at Arizona, the team Baylor plays four days after Saturdays showdown with Colorado.

Collen isnt going to make a big deal out of it.

Is there a little bit more? I don't know the answer to that, other than I think she made a name for herself at Colorado and had a lot of success, Collen said.

I want (Vonleh) to play basketball.

The game could be emotional enough.

Hopefully, it's more about her teammates wanting to help her than it is about her having a little bit of extra.

Much like the Bears, the Buffaloes have started conference play 1-1, with a home, upset win over West Virginia and a loss at TCU on Saturday.

Frida Formann leads the team with 13.6 points per game, while Lior Garzon scores 12.2 per game.

Kindyll Watta leads the team (and is third in the Big 12) with 6.4 assists per game, and Sarah-Rose Smith grabs 5.9 rebounds per game.

They're a team that's come together really, really well, Collen said.

When you have like, 10 new players on your roster, that's a unique challenge early in the season to figure things out.

We're at the point where everybody scouts at an elite level, and they know what they want to give you and what they want to take away.

I think they've been a team that believes they can hold teams in the 50s and play low-scoring basketball.

Time: Saturday, 3 p.m.

Site: Foster Pavilion Records: BU (11-3.

1-1 Big 12), CU (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) TV: ESPN+ Radio: 93.9 FM Series: Baylor leads 12-8 Last meeting: Baylor won 81-59, 2011 in Boulder Be the first to know Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..

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