Lady Bear Basketball Takes On Louisiana-Lafayette
11/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2000
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Baylor Lady Bears (2-0)
vs.
Louisiana-Lafayette (2-0)
Sun., Nov. 26 - 2:00 p.m.
Earl K. Long Gym (1,500)
Lafayette, La.
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, a former local television news anchor and currently Baylor's Director of Media Relations.
BAYLOR LADY BEARS
The Lady Bears opened the 2000-2001 campaign in impressive fashion by winning the Boston University Invitational. It was just the second tournament championship in the program's history. Baylor, behind the play of tournament MVP Sheila Lambert, defeated Miami University (OH), 75-62, and Yale, 81-52. Joining Lambert on the all-tournament team was junior forward/post Danielle Crockrom.
ON THE SEASON
Baylor's leader, two games into the season, is Sheila Lambert (Seattle/Chief Stealth HS/Grayson CC). The Seattle native is averaging 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.5 steals and 3.5 assists a game. In addition, the 5-7 guard leads the team in blocked shots with 1.5 a game.
Junior Danielle Crockrom (Houston/North Shore HS) and senior Monica Arnold (Austin/Johnston HS) each average in double digits in scoring. Crockrom, a 6-2 forward, checks in at 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while Arnold, a 6-2 post, tallies 10.5 points.
MULKEY-ROBERTSON RETURNS TO LOUISIANA
After spending her whole life in Louisiana, including the last 20 years at Louisiana Tech as a player and a coach, Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson makes her first business trip back to Louisiana. The Hammond, La., native is a member of several Louisiana Halls of Fame including 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.
In addition, Mulkey-Robertson is familiar with the Ragin' Cajun program as Louisiana Tech and Louisiana-Lafayette are both in the Sun Belt Conference.
A LOOK AHEAD
The Lady Bears will make their first appearance in the Ferrell Center when they host Bethune-Cookman College on Tues., Nov. 28 at 7:00 p.m. Baylor will then head to Colorado for two games, playing Air Force on Dec. 3 and Denver University on Dec. 5. Then it's back to the friendly confines of the Ferrell Center for six straight games starting with Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 9.
THE OPPOSITION
University of Louisiana-Lafayette
The Ragin' Cajuns, members of the Sun Belt Conference, at press time are 2-0 after defeating Texas-El Paso, 81-65, and Sam Houston State, 70-68. They will host Southern Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 25. Like the Lady Bears, three Ragin' Cajuns average in double figures for the season although the two scoring leaders come in off the bench. Charlotte Green, a 5-7 sophomore guard, averages 13.5 a game while Breanna Evans, a 5-10 junior forward, scores 12.5 and hauls in a team-leading 5.5 rebounds. The only starter averaging in double figures is senior forward Billie Popovska with 12.0 a game.
Ragin' Cajun head coach Gay Nix is in her fifth season and owns a career record of 27-84. Last season's 12 wins are the team's most victories under Nix.
SERIES RECORD
The Lady Bears lead the series with Louisiana-Lafayette 4-0. The two teams have only met once in Lafayette. The Lady Bears posted a 65-50 victory on Jan. 4, 1992.
12-31-88 Baylor, 71-58 - Orlando, FL
12-3-90 Baylor, 93-44 - Waco
1-4-92 Baylor, 65-50 - Lafayette
1-2-00 Baylor, 64-56 - Waco
LAST MEETING
The two squads met last season with the Lady Bears defeating the Ragin' Cajuns in the Ferrell Center. Danielle Crockrom and Monica Arnold were Baylor's top two players. Crockrom recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds while Arnold tallied 12 points and seven boards. Of Louisiana-Lafayette's three double-digit scorers, only forward Brooke Williams, who scored 10 points, and 6-0 junior forward Kim Chance (14 points-9 rebounds) are on this season's roster.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Baylor (2-0)
PG - #3 Nicole Collins - (5-3, Jr., Houston/Dobie HS) 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - #31 Sheila Lambert - (5-7, Jr., Seattle, Wash./Grayson CC) 19.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
F - #33 Hilary Akromis - (6-1, So., San Antonio/Churchill HS) 3.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg
F - #34 Danielle Crockrom - (6-2, Jr., Houston/North Shore HS) 12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
P - #40 Monica Arnold - (6-2, Sr., Austin/Johnston HS) 10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Louisiana-Lafayette (2-0)
G - #4 Lisa Moore - (5-5, Sr., Charleston, S.C.) 0.5 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
G - #3 Dekita WIlliams - (5-7, Sr., Fontana, CA.) 9.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
C - #34 Erin Dease - (6-1, Sr., Picayune, MS.) 6.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
F - #43 Billie Popovska - (5-11, Sr., Melbourne, Australia) 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F - #52 Brooke Williams - (6-0, So., Gueydan, LA) 6.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Other players with substantial stats:
G - #15 Charlotte Green - (5-6, So., Lafayette, LA) 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
F - #21 Breanna Evans - (5-10, Jr., Amarillo, TX) 12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg
MAKING THE TRANSITION
Junior college transfer Sheila Lambert (Grayson County College), one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation, proved last weekend that the recruiters were on the mark. The 5-7 guard with lightening speed tallied 19 points against Miami University and 19 against Yale to lead the Lady Bears to the championship of the Boston University Invitational. In addition, she led the team in virtually every category for the weekend en route to garnering tournament MVP honors.
STRATTON SHINES IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Freshman guard Jessika Stratton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Coronado HS) made the most of her opportunity in her first collegiate game when she came in off the bench against Miami University and chalked up 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 27 minutes of play. The steady performance earned her a starting spot in the team's next game against Yale.
THE BENCH
Against Yale, the Lady Bears' bench accounted for 41 of the team's 81 points. In fact, everyone on the team played at least 10 minutes and everyone got into the scoring column.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
Coach Mulkey-Robertson stresses defense and the Lady Bears have taken her preaching to heart. In two games, Baylor has forced 56 turnovers (16.0/game)and stolen the ball 29 times (14.5/game).
SHEILA LAMBERT EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
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.
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.
INJURY REPORT
Freshman post Kelly Sords (Austin/Westlake HS) 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.
HONORS
Sheila Lambert - Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year - Coaches, Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year - Media, MVP Boston University Invitational. Danielle Crockrom - All-Tournament Team Boston University Invitational.
RECORD BY LINEUP (pg, g, g, f, p)
1-0 Collins, Lambert, Akromis, Crockrom, Arnold
1-0 Collins, Lambert, Stratton, Crockrom, Akromis
