Baylor Girls Advance With 54-41 Win Over Pope John Paul II

The winning continues for the Baylor Lady Red Raider basketball team.

Playing their final home game on Austin Clark Court inside the friendly confines of the Jimmy Duke Arena, the Baylor girls took care of business Friday night in the quarterfinal round of the Division II, Class AA state tournament.

Baylor defeated Pope John Paul II by a 54-41 final and will now play in the Final Four next Friday at Lipcomb University’s Allen Arena, most likely against unbeaten and 10^th ranked nationally Ensworth, which advanced with a convincing 97-25 romp over Hutchison. Brentwood Academy and Briarcrest Christian round out the final four.

Baylor improved to 25-5 with its 14^th straight win and its 21^st win in its last 22 games. 

“I’ll take it,” said Baylor coach John Gibson shortly after the last home game of the season came to an end.

“All we want to do at this point is win and that’s what we did, but Pope John Paul has some really good athletes and we knew what they could do.  They play in that Nashville league, so we knew they were better than their overall record might indicate.

“The key is that we stayed together.  Raegyn (Conley) had to sit in the first half with foul trouble and it took us a few minutes to adjust, but we had some kids step up and make some shots.  We also knew that Ashley Malone was a great player, but we played better defense against her in the second half and made her work harder for her points,” Gibson added.

Malone was a one-girl show for the Lady Knights as she scored 33 of their 41 points, including 17 of 19 in the first half.

Unfortunately, the spunky senior didn't have any help.

PJP coach Angi Puckett had a lengthy – and most likely emotional – talk with her team following their final game, but she liked the way her kids battled from start to finish.

“I thought we fought hard the entire game,  but that 4 (Bella White) took the air out of us at the end of the first half,” Puckett said later.

“We tried to defend Conley, but Baylor had multiple girls step up and make big shots.  I think we took away a lot of what they wanted to do, but we just couldn’t knock down the shots and it cost us,” Puckett concluded after her team’s season ended at 12-17.

Malone, undoubtedly the best player on the floor for either team, scored the first bucket on a drive along the baseline before Baylor scored seven straight points for a 7-2 lead midway through the opening quarter.

Conley, one of three Baylor players in double figures, scored seven of her 16 points in that opening eight-minute span, including a late 3 that put the Lady Raiders ahead 13-6 at the first break.

Bella White sank two free throws at the 3:52 mark to give Baylor a 15-12 lead, but the Lady Knights – more specifically Malone – scored the next seven for a 19-15 lead with 1:52 left in the second.

White then scored the last eight points in the final 63 seconds to give Baylor a 23-19 lead at intermission.

Cadasia Collins opened the second half with a 3 from the corner and White scored on another drive along the baseline to put Baylor ahead 28-19 with 5:40 left in the third stanza.

Malone sank a long 3 from the corner two minutes later to get Pope John Paul with six at 30-24, but they didn’t any closer as Baylor slowly pulled away.

Conley scored 16 points to lead Baylor while Collins and White both followed with 14 points apiece.

Malone finished with 33 points to lead the Lady Knights while Alex Gift had seven and Leanna Pearson the other one.

Pope John Paul also had an unofficial 29-24 rebound advantage.

Lillie Van Vetre claimed eight while Keonna Chumbley had six.  Anastin Lee and Malone both snagged five apiece.  White was tops for Baylor with seven rebounds.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)