Baylor erased a nine-point, fourth-quarter comeback and defeated Nebraska, 67-62, Friday in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in Durham, N.Car.
A three-pointer by Britt Prince on the first possession of the fourth quarter pushed the Cornhuskers’ lead to 50-41 with 9:33 remaining, but the Lady Bears surged back into the game with a 15-3 run over the following 6:15 gave Baylor a 56-53 lead with 3:21 to go. Nebraska pulled to within one point three times over the final 3:21, but could never tie the game or regain the lead.
Prince piled up 27 points on 8-for-19 shooting. Logan Nissley tallied 11 points and eight rebounds, while Jessica Petrie contributed 10 before fouling out. Amiah Hargrove added six points and 11 rebounds. Taliah Scott led Baylor with 15 points despite 0-for-8 shooting from behind the arc. Scott was 9-for-12 on free throws. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs turned in a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jana Van Gytenbeek notched 12 points, while Bella Fontleroy scored 10 points.
Baylor dominated the glass, outrebounding Nebraska 43-33 and converted 17 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points, compared to 11 offensive boards for six second-chance points for NU. The Lady Bears outscored the Huskers in the paint, 28-20.