A critical flagrant foul appeal in the final minutes propelled Baylor from a nine-point deficit to a 67-62 victory over Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament, showcasing the game-changing power of coaching challenges.
Durham, N.C. — In a women’s NCAA Tournament first-round game that embodied March Madness drama, Baylor erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Nebraska 67-62, surviving a fierce challenge from the 11th-seeded Cornhuskers.
The sixth-seeded Bears (25-8) led 19-11 after the first quarter but went cold, allowing Nebraska (26-8) to seize control. With 9:33 remaining, the Cornhuskers held a 50-41 lead, seemingly poised for a historic upset as a First Four entrant.
Baylor’s response was a defensive masterclass. The Bears unleashed a full-court press, forcing six turnovers in the final quarter. “I thought that we got tough at the end,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen said. “When time was running out, I thought that’s about as tough a five minutes as we’ve ever played.”
The turning point came with the game tied at 53 and 3:48 on the clock. A jump ball between Nebraska’s Jessica Petrie and Baylor’s Bella Fontleroy led Collen to appeal for a flagrant foul review. After video consultation, officials assessed Petrie a flagrant, sending her to the bench with five fouls.
Taliah Scott sank both ensuing free throws, giving Baylor the lead for good. Petrie fouled out on the next possession, removing Nebraska’s defensive anchor. “I definitely think it flipped the game on its head a little bit,” Fontleroy said. “We really continued to be aggressive and compete after that.”
Collen risked a timeout for the appeal, trusting her staff’s tablet replay. “The worst thing that was going to happen to us was we were going to get the ball,” she said. “But we got the ball, the possession arrow stayed ours, and we ended up with a three-point possession.”
Nebraska coach Amy Williams conceded the call was debatable. “We’ll watch some of the men’s tournament for the next several days, and we’ll see that type of play happen many, many times,” she said. “It was an unfortunate circumstance that ended up kind of shifting a little bit of the momentum.”
Scott finished with 15 points, while Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added 13 and Jana Van Gytenbeek 12, including two clutch second-half 3-pointers. For Nebraska, Britt Prince scored 27 points in the losing effort.
A Historic Run Denied
Nebraska’s loss prevented the Cornhuskers from becoming only the second First Four team to reach the second round since the women’s field expanded to 68 teams in 2022 [AP Tournament Coverage]. The 68-team tournament structure creates a high-stakes environment where such momentum swings often define survival [AP News].
Williams emphasized that the program’s next step is hosting postseason games. “We’ve got to put ourselves in position to be hosting,” she said. “That’s kind of the next steps. We want the returning players in our program to be talking about playing games like this in Pinnacle Bank Arena next year in Lincoln.”
Collision Course with Duke
Baylor advances to face third-seeded Duke on Sunday, a matchup that reunites teams that opened the season against each other. Duke arrived in Durham by way of an 81-64 first-round victory over Charleston [AP News].
The Bears defeated the Blue Devils 58-52 in their Nov. 3 season opener. “I think Duke was elite when we played them, and I think they’re elite now,” Collen said. “I think we maybe didn’t quite know who we were yet.” Both teams enter Sunday’s game with identical 25-8 records.
For Baylor, the comeback against Nebraska proved they can withstand pressure. For Nebraska, the loss underscores the fine margins that separate tournament breakthroughs from disappointment. The flagrant foul appeal will be replayed in highlight reels, but its true legacy lies in how one coaching decision can redefine a team’s March destiny.
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