Baylor pulls away as Grand Canyon's 30-game win streak ends with March Madness loss
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WACO, Texas -- — Aaronette Vonleh missed just three of her 13 shots in leading Baylor to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Not quite good enough, coach Nicki Collen?
“Honestly, the shots she missed, I was like, ‘Oh, no,’” Collen said. “She literally missed two that I thought were gimmes. Then you look down and see what she did and you just kind of shake your head that you have those high expectations.”
Vonleh had 25 points and 11 rebounds, leading the fourth-seeded Bears to a 73-60 first-round victory over Grand Canyon on Friday.
Jada Walker scored 17 points as the host Bears (28-7) ended the Lopes' nation-leading winning streak at 30 games in Grand Canyon's first NCAA appearance. Baylor will play the Mississippi-Ball State winner in the second round Sunday.
Baylor trailed most of the first half before going in front for good on a 9-0 run in the final 3:35 before the break. The No. 13 seed Lopes (32-3) got back within three at halftime on Sydney Erikstrup's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Bears put the focus on their size advantage to take control, getting the ball to Vonleh inside. The 6-foot-3 senior transfer from Colorado, who was also 5 of 7 on free throws, left to a loud ovation after fouling out in the final minute.
“At the beginning of the game it was just hard to get touches because they were being so aggressive defensively,” Vonleh said. “But I just made it an emphasis to keep posting hard knowing like it was going to open eventually, and my teammates eventually figured out how to get it to me successfully.”
Grand Canyon played the last 13 minutes of the first half without Trinity San Antonio after the team's leader picked up her second foul. She scored 23 of her 27 points after the break, including 14 in the third quarter, to help the Lopes stay close.
The bigger Bears also shut down Grand Canyon's biggest 3-point threat, with Sarah Andrews leading the defensive effort to hold Alyssa Durazo-Frescas to her second game of the season without a bucket beyond the arc. She attempted just three after entering the tournament leading the country at four made 3s per game.
“They tried to get her open,” Collen said. “We just weren’t going to leave her. So when you can make them go two by two by two and make San Antonio make pull-up jump shots, she’s going to miss some. She made a lot them, but still missed some.”
The Lopes tried a zone after getting within two late in the third, but Vonleh found a seam, took the pass and converted the three-point play for a 47-42 lead.
“That’s tough to guard,” Grand Canyon coach Molly Miller said. “We tried to double some, pick-and-roll. Tried to hedge and tag and go back nose-to-nose if you will. She’s just hard to handle.”
Back in action
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double, returned for Baylor after missing seven games with a right knee injury. She scored two points on a minutes restriction, finishing with 18.
“She is just our energy player,” said Yaya Felder, who scored 12 points. “She brings us up, so it was just a happy time with her back out there.”
Souvenir time
San Antonio and Grand Canyon defensive stopper Tiarra Brown were part of a unique blend of a team with a 30-game winning streak making its NCAA Tournament debut.
“My biggest take away is it’s called March Madness for a reason,” Brown said. “Got to believe in the madness.”
They showed how special it was by grabbing their nameplates as souvenirs on their way out of the interview room.
Focus on the now
Miller — who has a 297-55 record with five 30-win seasons over six years at Division II Drury, her alma mater, and five at Grand Canyon — was asked about her future. It was a clear reference to the possibility of higher-profile programs going after the 38-year-old, and she wasn't interested in addressing it.
“I’m here with my team enjoying it, soaking up this moment, making core memories that will last a lifetime,” Miller said.
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