BYU Women’s Basketball Earns Signature Big 12 Win Defeating No. 18 Baylor
Feb 7, 2024, 9:29 PM | Updated: Feb 8, 2024, 10:55 am
PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s basketball earned its signature win as a member of the Big 12 Conference.
On Wednesday night, BYU knocked off No. 18 Baylor 78-66.
It’s the first Top 25 win for BYU women’s hoops since November 2021. For second-year head coach Amber Whiting, it’s her first victory over a Top 25 team as BYU’s bench boss.
#BYU women's basketball pulls off a signature Big 12 win.
Cougars defeat No. 18 Baylor 78-66.
First Top 25 win of the Amber Whiting era.
Lauren Gustin finishes with 23 points, 16 rebounds. Kailey Woolston was excellent in the second half, scoring 14 points.#BYUWBB #Big12
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 8, 2024
BYU defeats No. 18 Baylor 78-66
Coming into the game, Baylor was an 11-point favorite. But it didn’t matter to BYU as the Cougars shot 53% from the field compared to Baylor’s 35% shooting.
It’s another loss for a talented Baylor squad that has been on a roller coaster of up-and-down play in recent weeks. The Bears drop to 17-5 overall, 6-5 in the Big 12.
BYU improves to 13-11 overall, 3-8 in the Big 12. The victory ends a three-game losing streak for the Cougars.
Senior forward Lauren Gustin delivered another star performance, leading BYU with 23 points and 16 rebounds.
Going up against preseason All-Big 12 guard Sarah Andrews, BYU’s freshmen tandem of Amari Whiting and Kailey Woolston shined on Wednesday.
Whiting finished with 14 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in 36 minutes. Kailey Woolston, a two-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week this season, scored an additional 14, all of which came in the second half.
. @laurengus10 leads the Cougs to the upset over Baylor at home with 23 points & 16 rebounds on the night 🔵#Big12WBB | @MarchMadnessWBB pic.twitter.com/qb0vRKGL5Q
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) February 8, 2024
Like any Big 12 game, the matchup was physical. BYU reserve Lauren Davenport had to get stitches below her right eye after taking an incidental elbow to the face on a layup attempt.
Then, with less than a minute left in the game, Baylor’s Yaya Felder dove for a loose ball and, in the process, hit her face on the court. The contact on the Marriott Center floor caused Felder’s tooth to fall out.
Felder finished with 15 points for Baylor, two behind preseason All-Big 12 selection Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who scored 17 to lead the way for the Bears.
The win over nationally-ranked Baylor improves BYU’s record against ranked opponents to 21-44 since 2000.
Up next for BYU women’s basketball
BYU goes on the road to face the Cincinnati Bearcats this Saturday. It will be a quick turnaround as the game tips at Noon (ET)/10 a.m. (MT).
The Bearcats are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Texas Tech last Saturday and then UCF on Wednesday night.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s’ coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
