It’s hard to win on the road, even for the seventh-ranked women’s college basketball team in the nation. Especially when they’re playing at a venue where the home team is undefeated.
Such was the case Sunday, when the 15th-ranked Baylor Bears surprised the Iowa State Cyclones, 87-61.
“Confidence, you know, kind of breeds confidence,” Baylor’s head coach Nicki Collen said after the game, according to a YouTube video.
It was the first time Baylor has beaten a ranked opponent under Collen.
The Cyclones (16-3 overall, 5-2 in conference play) played a tight first quarter, eking out a 13-12 lead at the end of the first frame. But the Bears were too much after that.
Ashley Joens led all Cyclones with 19 points. Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw chipped in 11, while Beatriz Jordan added 10 coming off the bench.
Baylor (13-4, 3-2) is 8-0 at home this season, and the win over Iowa State propelled them to No. 11 in the Associate Press rankings. The Cyclones dropped to 13th.
After dropping two in a row, the Cyclones looked to get back in the win column when they hosted the Kansas Jayhawks on Wednesday. They succeeded 77-62.
