Blackwell leads balanced attack, No. 21 Baylor women beat Harvard 81-71
WACO, Texas (AP) — Aijha Blackwell had 16 points to lead five starters in double figures and No. 21 Baylor defeated Harvard 81-71 on Sunday.
Blackwell made 5 of 8 shots with a 3-pointer and 5 of 10 from the free-throw line for the Lady Bears (3-0). Dre'Una Edwards hit two 3-pointers and scored 14. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Jada Walker both scored 13 with Littlepage-Buggs adding nine rebounds and Walker adding eight assists. Sarah Andrews scored 11.
Harmoni Turner scored 29 points to lead the Crimson (3-2), who are 2-2 away from home this season. Turner made 9 of 26 shots with three 3-pointers, adding seven rebounds and five assists. Lola Mullaney sank five of her 12 shots from distance, scoring 19 with four steals. Elena Rodriguez scored 11 on 5-for-7 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Edwards had a layup with 37 seconds left as Baylor scored the last four points to grab a 17-15 lead after one quarter. Mullaney buried a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to pull Harvard with 39-37 at halftime.
Andrews and Edwards had six points and Blackwell scored five as the Lady Bears outscored the Crimson by eight and took a 60-50 lead into the final period.
It was the first meeting between the schools and the first time Baylor played an Ivy League school under coach Nicki Collen.
Harvard is playing 11 of its first 13 games on the road under second-year coach Carrie Moore, who led the Crimson to their first 20-win season since 2016-17 in her debut. Moore and the Crimson made it to the fourth round of a postseason tournament for the first time in school history when they advanced to the Great 8 in the WNIT.
The Lady Bears will host McNeese on Friday. Harvard will play North Dakota State at the San Diego Classic on Friday.
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