Nov. 18, 2005
Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
WACO, Texas (AP) - UCLA's guard tandem gave the defending national champions a stern test.
However, at the finish, No. 6 Baylor (2-0) prevailed over the Bruins, 93-85 Friday night, as Sophia Young scored 26 points and Angela Tisdale added 23.
Lisa Willis scored 22 points, and Noelle Quinn added 20 to keep UCLA (0-1) close throughout most of the contest.
"They (Willis and Quinn) can do so many things, they're not one-dimensional," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson said. "They weren't wide open, they were outstanding shots."
The Bruins cut the margin to 74-69 with just under 6 minutes remaining, but the Lady Bears used a 9-3 run to extend their lead to 83-72 with 3:17 left. Young, who played the entire 40 minutes, capped the outburst with a 3-point play.
The victory extended the Lady Bears' winning streak to a school-record 22 games. Baylor played its home opener in front of 9,065 fans, the largest opening-game crowd in school history.
"We knew UCLA would come out with everything they had," Young said. "Every time we got down, the crowd got up and started yelling. That helped us stay on top."
Chameka Scott's 3-pointer gave Baylor its biggest lead of the evening at 88-74 with 2:20 left to play.
The Bruins narrowed the gap to single digits in the final minute on Lindsey Pluimer's layup and a 3-pointer by Willis.
"This was a great opportunity for our team," UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. "I thought we did a lot of positive things. We're going back home to figure out how to be a little tougher defensively and stay out of foul trouble."
The Lady Bears shot 51 percent in the first half, taking a 47-43 halftime lead.
Before the game, Baylor unveiled three banners commemorating its 2005 Big 12 regular season championship, Big 12 tournament championship, and NCAA title.
"It was special and neat," Mulkey-Robertson said. "To watch the highlight video and the banners being dropped makes you emotional."
