WACO, Texas – A strong defensive effort in the first half wasn't enough to carry Lamar University late against the second-best team in the country. The Cardinals held #2 Baylor University to well under its scoring average but couldn't quite keep pace offensively, and Baylor took a 90-28 decision over Big Red.

Angel Hastings scored 13 for Lamar with a 3-of-7 performance from beyond the arc, and Jadyn Pimentel had another six for LU, all in the third quarter.
 
Lamar got off to a quick start with, taking a 5-4 lead about two and a half minutes in on a 20-foot jumper and a three from the top of the key from Hastings. Baylor would answer with four quicks points, but Briana Laidler pulled LU back within one, 8-7, on a put-back jumper as she fell to the floor. Baylor stretched that lead to three, 10-7, on a driving layup, and Amber Vidal tried to respond with a three that somehow rimmed out of the basket despite going about a third of the way in. The Lady Bears hit their own three at the other end, and at the first media stoppage Baylor led 14-7. A tough scoring drought for LU put Baylor up 24-7 after one quarter.
 
The Cardinals matched Baylor point for point until the second media timeout, scoring first on a Laidler transition bucket after she stole a Lady Bears pass. Vidal and Rikiah Cowart also scored during that streak, and at the media timeout Baylor led 30-13. Neither team scored for the next two and a half minutes as Lamar's defense locked down one of the best offenses in the country, but the Lady Bears hit two buckets and a free throw in the closing seconds to extend that lead to 35-13 at the half. The Cardinals held BU to just about 14 points below its scoring average through two quarters.
 
Baylor proved too strong for Lamar to make any headway in the second half, but the Cardinals did hold one of the best offenses in the country to six points less than their average. The defensive focus of the first half switched to mostly offense in the second half with both teams tallying more than in the opening 20 minutes, but the Cards couldn't close that gap. #2 Baylor won 90-28 over Lamar.
 
The Cardinals return to action on Monday, Nov. 25, when LU hosts the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. in the Montagne Center and on ESPN+. Big Red will then fly to California during the Thanksgiving break to play Idaho and Cal Poly in the Shareslo Holiday Classic.