Duke and Baylor are preparing to face each other in an NCAA Tournament second-round game. Baylor guard Taliah Scott expressed confidence that her team will be able to match Duke’s physicality when they meet on Sunday. The game is a rematch of the teams’ season-opener that was played in Paris, which Baylor won 58-52.
Baylor’s Confidence
Taliah Scott stated on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium that they will need to out-tough Duke. She believes they need to play bigger than they are. Scott added, “I think that we’re ready to do that. I think we proved that we can do that in the first matchup.”
Baylor started the season strong, going 19-3 and climbing to No. 7 in the AP poll. However, they struggled later, losing in the Big 12 quarterfinals to Colorado. Marcayla Johnson, a key rotational player for Baylor, will miss the remainder of the season after tearing her ACL in practice last week. The freshman guard had played in all 32 of Baylor’s games prior to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Duke’s Development
Duke fell out of the Top 25 after a 3-6 start. The Blue Devils then won 22 of their next 24 games, securing the Atlantic Coast Conference title. Duke coach Kara Lawson said, “I think any team approaching a matchup should believe they can win. We believe that. And they should, too. I’m sure they do. They already beat us. So, I’m sure they believe they can win, right.”
Center Arianna Roberson did not play in the first game against Baylor. She had missed the previous season with a knee injury. Now, she is averaging 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 17.2 minutes off the bench.
Changes Since the First Matchup
Kara Lawson acknowledged the difficulty in relying too much on the initial meeting due to the changes in both teams since November 3. She stated, “I definitely think we are more fortified than we were to start the year. Obviously, we have some young players that play. We start two sophomores. We bring a freshman off the bench, and so I think their growth and their maturation, I think they are different players than they were to start.”
- Baylor held Duke to 29% shooting in the first game.
- Taliah Scott scored 24 points in the first game.
- The Bears used that win as the springboard for an inspiring 10-1 start.
Baylor coach Nicki Collen said, “I thought we were really connected in that game. I thought as the game went along – I’m not saying our kids didn’t believe when we went to Paris that we were going to win, but I think the longer you stay in a game against an elite opponent you begin to really believe that you should be out there with them.”
The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to face either No. 2 LSU or No. 7 Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 in Sacramento, California.