MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team opens its 2020-21 Big 12 Conference slate against No. 7/7 Baylor on Thursday, Dec. 10, in Morgantown.
 
Opening tip against the Lady Bears is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. Dan Zangrilli and Ayana Dunning will call the game for the Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. The contest can be found on 98.3 FM/1490 AM WBKE as well as affiliates across the state, the TuneIn Radio App and WVUSports.com. Sunday's contest also will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lanny Frattare, Meg Bulger and Anjelica Trinone on the call. For more information on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, visit WVUsports.com/Big12Now.
 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, West Virginia's December home games will take place without spectators in the WVU Coliseum. Only essential game operations personnel and families of the players and women's basketball staff will be admitted into the arena. Gates will open at 5 p.m., for essential game operations personnel and at 6 p.m., for members of the media who have requested a credential for Thursday's game. Credential pick-up will be located at the Gold Gate.
 
The Mountaineers (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) and the Lady Bears (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) are set to meet for the 21st time on Thursday evening. West Virginia's last win against Baylor came on March 6, 2017, when WVU knocked off the No. 2 Lady Bears, 77-66, in the 2017 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Championship at Chesapeake Energy Arena, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. WVU dropped both contests to BU a season ago.
 
West Virginia is coming off a 79-70 overtime victory over Tennessee in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Dec. 6, at the WVU Coliseum. Redshirt senior guard Kysre Gondrezick led WVU in scoring for the fourth consecutive game, notching a career-high 27 points. It also marked Gondrezick's fourth straight contest with 20 or more points. Four other Mountaineers finished in double figures against the Lady Volunteers, including junior guard Madisen Smith (16 points), junior forward Kari Niblack (11 points), sophomore guard Kirsten Deans (11 points) and sophomore forward Esmery Martinez (10 points). Martinez once again paced the Mountaineers on the glass by reeling in eight rebounds.
 
Baylor is coming of an 83-78 loss at No. 16/14 Arkansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Dec. 6. Three Lady Bears finished in double figures in the loss, including guard DiJonai Carrington, who led the team with 24 points. Forward NaLyssa Smith (16 points) and guard Moon Ursin (12 points) also finished with 10 or more points in Sunday's game. Smith, center Queen Egbo and guard DiDi Richards tied for the team lead in rebounds against the Razorbacks, with seven. Baylor is led by head coach Kim Mulkey, who has accumulated 606 wins during her 21 seasons with the Lady Bears.