Lady Bear Basketball Tips Off Season in Boston
11/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Nov. 15, 2000
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Boston University Tournament
Baylor Lady Bears (0-0) vs. Miami, Ohio (0-0)
Sat., Nov. 18 - 2:00 p.m.*
Case Center Gymnasium, "The Roof"
Boston, Mass.
Baylor vs. Boston University/Yale
Sun., Nov. 19
Consolation - Noon*
Championship - 2:00 p.m.*
All times listed Central
BAYLOR HEAD COACH KIM MULKEY-ROBERTSON
Women's basketball Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey-Robertson begins her first season as a head coach. The former All-American and Olympic gold medalist was named Baylor University's fourth head women's basketball coach on April 4th.
Mulkey-Robertson came to Baylor from Louisiana Tech University where she spent the last 19 years as either a player or assistant coach in the legendary Lady Techster program. During her tenure in Ruston, Mulkey-Robertson was associated with 11 Final Four squads and three national championship teams. She has either played or coached in the national championship game on six occasions.
During her 15-year stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Louisiana Tech posted a 430-68 record and advanced to seven Final Fours. Mulkey-Robertson held the title of associate head coach to Tech legend Leon Barmore for the last four seasons. Her responsibilities at Tech included coordinating recruiting, setting defensive matchups, tutoring Lady Techster guards and overseeing her players' academic progress.
Recently, Women's Basketball Journal ranked Mulkey-Robertson as one of the top three assistants in the country.
Mulkey-Robertson is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the National High School Hall of Fame, the Louisiana High School Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was the lone female named among the Louisiana Sportswriters top 25 athletes of the century.
Mulkey-Robertson is assisted by former Grayson County College head coach Bill Brock and Louisiana natives Jennifer Roberts and Johnny Derrick.
BAYLOR LADY BEARS
The Lady Bears open their 2000-2001 campaign after posting two victories in exhibition play. They defeated the Houston Jaguars, 83-70, and Slovakia's Delta Kosice, 71-47, behind the scoring of senior post Monica Arnold and junior guard Sheila Lambert.
For the two exhibition games Arnold and Lambert each averaged 18.0 points while junior forward/post Danielle Crockrom scored 12.5 a game. All three posted strong rebounding averages with Crockrom leading the way with a 7.5 average while Arnold hauled in 7.0 and Lambert pulled down 6.5. Lambert also averaged 6.5 assists and 2.0 steals a game. Junior point guard Nicole Collins averaged 3.5 steals a game and was followed by Crockrom and freshman guard Chanelle Fox's 2.5 average.
The Lady Bears return four starters off last season's 7-20 squad. Leading the way is junior post Danielle Crockrom who averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds last season. Other returning starters include senior post Monica Arnold (9.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), junior point guard Nicole Collins (8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.8 apg) and Hilary Akromis (5.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), a 6-0 sophomore guard. Fortifying the starting lineup will be junior college transfer Sheila Lambert (Grayson County College) who averaged 23.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists a game last season.
SHEILA LAMBERT EARNS PRESEASON HONOR,
Baylor's Sheila Lambert has twice been tabbed Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Both the Big 12 coaches and media have bestowed the honor upon Lambert.
Lambert, a 5-7 junior guard from Seattle, Wash., transferred to Baylor from Grayson County College (TX) where she averaged 23.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game as a sophomore. Lambert was a two-time first-team NJCAA All-American and two-time NJCAA Region 5 Player of the Year. In addition, she earned Northern Texas Conference MVP honors twice. In her two years at GCC, Lambert led the squad to a 68-2 record and the team garnered a third place national finish last season.
INJURY REPORT
Freshman post Kelly Sords is sidelined with a stress fracture. The 6-3 Austin native and Westlake High School native suffered the injury to her left leg and will be out of action from four to six weeks.
LADY BEARS IN SEASON OPENERS
Overall the Lady Bears are 20-6 in season openers, including a 2-4 mark for away games and are 4-1 in neutral site season openers. They have a string of five consecutive season opening victories going. Their last season opening loss came at the hands of Wisconsin (77-52) in the 1994 St. Mary's (CA) Thanksgiving Classic.
THE OPPOSITION
Miami University (Ohio)
The RedHawk enter the tournament after splitting their two exhibition games. They defeated the Cincinnati Stars, 79-73, and lost to the Ohio Girls Basketball Magazine (ogbm) squad, 97-88.
RedHawk head coach Maria Fanatanarosa begins her third season as head coach with her two top scorers returning from last season's 16-12 squad. Senior guard Jenny Martin averaged 13.0 points and 2.5 rebounds last season while sophomore guard Heather Cusick tallied 11.9 points and 4.1 boards an outing.
In their two exhibition games Cusik leads the way with 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists a game. Jana Butler, a 6-2 sophomore center, posted 17.0 points and 9.5 rebounds a game while Martin scored 13.5 points and hauled down 3.5 rebounds during exhibition play.
Boston University
Like the Lady Bears and the Yale Bulldogs, the Boston University Terriers posted two wins in exhibition games. They defeated the New York Gazelles, 95-65, and the Netherlands National Team, 75-68.
Terrier head coach Margaret McKeon begins her second season at BU with all five starters returning off last year's 8-21 team. Senior center Alison Dixon (6-2) enters the season as the fifth-leading scorer in Terrier history with 1,296 points.
Yale
Yale, a member of the Ivy League, also emerged from preseason play with an unblemished mark, posting an exhibition victory over the Netherlands National Team, 63-47. Sophomore forward Helene Schutrumpf led the Bulldogs with 20 points while 6-1 senior center Lily Glick scored 11 points.
Head coach Amy Backus begins her second season at the helm of the Yale program after posting a mark of 11-16 last season. Four starters return off last season's squad.
SERIES RECORD
This will be the Lady Bears' first meeting with all of the teams. Baylor is 4-2 against Mid-America Conference teams of which Miami is a member. They have posted victories over other Mid-America foes Central Michigan, Marshall, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan and lost to Kent. Boston University plays in the American East Conference. Baylor is 0-1 versus America East teams losing to New Hampshire. Against Ivy League schools the Lady Bears are 3-1. Their lone loss came against Princeton and they have posted wins over Brown, Dartmouth and Pennsylvania. .
PROBABLE STARTERS
Baylor (0-0)
PG - #3 Nicole Collins - (5-3, Jr., Houston/Dobie HS)
G - #31 Sheila Lambert - (5-7, Jr., Seattle, Wash./Grayson CC)
F - #33 Hilary Akromis - (6-1, So., San Antonio/Churchill HS)
F - #34 Danielle Crockrom - (6-2, Jr., Houston/North Shore HS)
P - #40 Monica Arnold - (6-2, Sr., Austin/Johnston HS)
Miami University (0-0)
PG - #5 Heather Cusik - (5-8, So., Kokomo, Ind.
G - #24 Jenny Martin - (5-8, Sr., Greenwood, Ind.
C - #32 Kelli Stamper - (6-1, So., Frankfort, KY)
F - #30 Jana Butler - (6-2, Sr., Findlay, Ohio)
F - #35 Colleen Day - (6-0, Fr., Independence, Ohio)
BAYLOR RADIO
Catch all of the Lady Bear basketball games on KLRK - FM, 92.9. Veteran commentator Rick May will call the play-by-play for the fifth straight year. Entering her second season as color commentator is Lori Scott-Fogleman , Baylor's Director of Media Relations and former news anchor.
ON THE NET
For all the latest in Baylor Athletics, log on the the athletic department's official website: www.GoBaylorBears.com
