Postgame Notes

April 3, 2005

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TEMPE REGIONAL CHAMPION (31-3)
(Ranked No. 5 AP and No. 6 by USA Today/ESPN/WBCA)

RECORDS: 32-3; 14-2 Big 12; automatic bid No. 2 seed

NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Defeated Illinois State, 91-70; defeated Oregon, 69-46; defeated Minnesota, 64-57; defeated North Carolina, 72-63; defeated LSU, 68-57.

BAYLOR TEAM NOTES

Tonight's victory is only the eighth NCAA Tournament win in Baylor history. The Bears will enter Tuesday night's NCAA championship game with the fewest career victories by a title game participant since 1993, when Texas Tech had a 5-5 record prior to its national championship game win vs. Ohio State (84-82 at The Omni in Atlanta).
Baylor is the first team to reach the NCAA title game in its first Final Four appearance since Oklahoma in 2002 (the Sooners lost to Connecticut in the final, 82-70 at the Alamodome in San Antonio). Baylor is just the third Big 12 team all-time to reach the championship game. Texas Tech is the only Big 12 school to win an NCAA Championship (1993).
The Big 12 is 3-2 in Final Four games and 1-1 in title games.
The last team to win a national championship in its first trip to the Final Four was North Carolina in 1994 (defeated Louisiana Tech, 60-59 on Charlotte Smith's buzzer-beating three-pointer at the Richmond (Va.) Coliseum). Since the NCAA Tournament began in 1982, 10 teams have reached the NCAA final in their first Final Four appearance - these teams are 6-4 in the title game.
Baylor is 2-2 against SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament. The last win was over Florida in the second round last year, 91-76. The last loss was to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 last year, 71-69. The first Baylor-SEC meeting in an NCAA Tournament was versus Arkansas in 2001. Baylor lost 68-59 in the second round game.
The last win overall (not in the tournament) was this season against Florida, 89-92, on Dec.19, 2004.
Baylor is 8-3 after four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Baylor is 3-6 all-time versus LSU and 1-1 this season. This was the first meeting between the teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor is 3-2 against LSU in postseason games, including WNIT and AIAW games.
Baylor had trailed 21 to LSU in the first meeting on Nov.14, 2004, but lost, 71-70.
Baylor is 15-31 all-time against SEC teams.
Baylor is the first team to score more than 50 points against LSU in this year's tournament.
Baylor's 15-point deficit is the second largest come from behind victory in NCAA Final Four history. The high of 16 was set by Notre Dame, which trailed Connecticut, 47-31 with 2:02 left in the first half in the 2001 national semifinals (Notre Dame won, 90-75).
Baylor is riding a school record 19-game winning streak entering the championship game. It is the longest running streak in the NCAA currently.
Baylor's best free throw percentage in the tournament 85.7, best since 93.3 percent versus Oklahoma on Feb. 9, 2005.
Today's game marked the second time this season Baylor has been tied with its opponent at half time.
Baylor's 28 first half points marked the lowest first half output for the Bears this tournament.
Baylor's 4-4 free throw result was the fewest taken, but marked the best percentage in their tournament appearances this year. It also marked the sixth time this season the Bears have been perfect from the line in the first half.
Baylor's 39.3 first half field goal percentage was the lowest for the Bears this tournament. It's game percentage of 42.9 is also the lowest in its NCAA tournament this year.
The Lady Bears are 10-2 against ranked teams this season.
Baylor has seen five players reach double figures in scoring in just one game during the tournament this year (vs. Illinois State in the first round). There have been two games with two players reaching double figures (versus Oregon, second round, and Minnesota in Sweet 16) and two games with three (versus LSU in semifinals and North Carolina in the Elite Eight).

BAYLOR PLAYER NOTES

Emily Niemann's 14 points was the most for her in the NCAA Tournament this year. She tallied 19 against Tennessee last year in the Sweet 16. Baylor lost that game, 71-69.
Young has tallied six or more assists in four games. She has led the team in assists six times this season.
Young leads her team in career tournament points with 172, an average of 21.5 ppg.
Young has reached double figures in all 35 games and recorded 17 double-doubles.
Young has been the team's leading scorer a high of 20 times, while Blackmon has done the deed 12 times and Emily Niemann four times.
Young has also been the team's leading rebounding a high of 20 times, while Blackmon has corralled high rebounds in 15 games, Chameka Scott three times.
Young has posted 13, 20+point games and 17, 10+ rebounding performances this season. Blackmon is close behind with nine 20+ point games and one game with 31 points, and six games with 10 or more rebounds.
Young is riding a 45-game double figure scoring streak.
Chelsea Whitaker needs five assists to become Baylor's all-time assists leader. She has 451 after three seasons and 102 games.
Emily Niemann's older brother Jeffrey pitched for Rice's 2003 national champion baseball team. He went 17-0 in the 2002-03 season. He was selected fourth in the MLB draft, went to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

COACH Kim Mulkey-Robertson (5th season)

Mulkey-Robertson owns a five-year head coaching record of 130-38 (.773).
Mulkey-Robertson is 8-3 in NCAA Tournament games. After four appearances, her teams are 3-1 in the first round, 2-1 in the second round, 1-1 in the Sweet 16, 1-0 in the Elite Eight and 1-0 in Semifinals.
Four Final Fours as a player (three NCAA, one AIAW); Seven trips as an assistant coach with Louisiana Tech and first time as head coach at Baylor.
As a player, Mulkey-Robertson was 3-2 in Final Four games, which included a national title in 1982, her first appearance. She was a point guard.
Mulkey-Robertston is one of three current D-I head women's coaches who have played for a national championship. Temple head coach Dawn Staley played for Virginia when it was the national runner-up in 1991 and Jennifer Rizzotti helped Connecticut to a title in 1995. Only Mulkey-Robertson and Rizzotti have won titles as players prior to becoming a head coach.
She becomes the first person to win a national championship (1982) and coach a team in the Women's Final Four and is now the first person to win a national championship and coach in the championship game.

Postgame Notes

Players Mentioned

Chameka Scott

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Postgame Notes

Players Mentioned

Chameka Scott

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