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Taliah Scott shines as No. 16 Baylor women upset No. 7 Duke
Baylor Bears guard Taliah Scott. Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Taliah Scott shines as No. 16 Baylor women upset No. 7 Duke

Scoring was optional in Monday's season opener between No. 7 Duke and No. 16 Baylor in Paris, but that did not stop Auburn transfer Taliah Scott from finding the bottom of the net and leading her team to victory in a 58-52 upset.

Baylor held Duke to just 29 percent shooting, but only made 20 of their 63 shots (31.7 percent) in a low-scoring affair. According to the ESPN broadcast, the win is Baylor's first over a top-10 opponent since it defeated No. 5 Texas in 2023.

Aside from senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who had 10 points and 10 rebounds, Scott, who missed all but three games last season with a wrist injury, was the only other player on the team in double figures with 24 points (7-of-18 FG), five rebounds and three assists. The 38.9 percent shooting is not the flashiest, but when you consider the rest of the team shot a combined 13-of-45 from the floor, Scott's shot-making was the difference in the game.

Taliah Scott leads Baylor to season-opening win over Duke

This corner triple from Scott was one of two in the game to cut into Duke's lead, 41-40, late in the third quarter. It is the 22nd game of her career in double-figure scoring.

Scott was difficult for Duke to contain, and so was Baylor's ferocious defense that only allowed 19 points in the second half. While neither team shot well from deep, going a combined 7-of-34, it was Baylor's rebounding (51-40) and nine blocks that kept Duke from establishing any rhythm.

The biggest example of that is Blue Devils star Toby Fournier, who was held to 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting. The Bears were sensational defensively, but Duke's offensive struggles from last season seem to be carrying over.

Nevertheless, Baylor is off to a fantastic start and has a lot to look forward to this season if Scott plays like she did in the opener. She has averaged at least 20.3 points per game in each of her previous two seasons with Arkansas and Auburn, respectively, and showed no signs of that being any different this season with the Bears in Monday's win.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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