Jan. 12, 2007
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#9/#9 Baylor (15-2, 2-1) vs. #19/#19 Texas A&M (11-3, 1-1)
Saturday, Jan. 13 - 3:30 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena - College Station, Texas
BAYLOR LADY BEARS
IN THE POLLS
9 - Associated Press
9 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS
Angela Tisdale - Jr., G, 5-5 - 11.4 ppg, 4.29 apg
Jhasmin Player - So., G, 5-10 - 6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Jessica Morrow - So., G, 6-2 - 10.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Rachel Allison - So., P, 6-1 - 7.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg
Bernice Mosby - Sr., P, 6-1 - 18.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
IN THE POLLS
19 - Associated Press
19 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS
A'Quonesia Franklin - Jr., G, 5-3 - 6.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Takia Starks - So., G, 5-8 - 14.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Danielle Gant - So., F, 5-11 - 9.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg
Patrice Reado - Jr., F, 6-0 - 7.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg
La Toya Micheaux - So., C, 6-3 - 6.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
OVER THE AIRWAVES
TV: Fox Sports Net
Kevin Eschenfelder, play-by-play
Brenda VanLengen, color analyst
Internet Feeds
Audio: Live audio stream at BaylorBears.com
Radio: KRZI/ESPN - 1660 AM - Waco
Radio Talent:
Rick May, play-by-play
Lori Fogleman, color analyst
BAYLOR VS. TEXAS A&M...
Saturday afternoon's Battle of the Brazos between Baylor and Texas A&M pits two teams against each other with one league loss each.
Both teams are extremely quick and athletic and rank as the league's top two teams in steals, the Aggies claim the top spot at 12.64 per game while the Lady Bears are No. 2 at 12.18 an outing.
Ninth-ranked Baylor, 15-2 on the season and 2-1 in Big 12 play, saw its 12-game win streak snapped Wednesday with a loss to eighth-ranked Oklahoma. Baylor ranks No. 1 nationally in blocked shots and will try to maintain that ranking as it plays the Aggies.
The 19th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 11-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference action, has won all eight of its home games this season and is coming off a victory at Texas Tech, its first win in Lubbock in 27 years.
This contest marks Baylor's fifth game against a top 25 opponent this season.
LADY BEARS ON TELEVISION...
Saturday's game will be broadcast on FOX Sports Network (FSN) and will be seen live by the following FSN regions: Florida, Midwest, New York, Rocky Mountain, SportSouth, Southwest (Texas and Oklahoma). All other FSN Regions will show the game on a delayed basis.
Kevin Eschenfelder will call the action while Brenda VanLengen will provide color analysis.
HEAD COACH Kim Mulkey...
When Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey accepted the position of women's head basketball coach at Baylor University, few could have predicted the dramatic and prestigious turn the program was about to take. In just six years at Baylor, the former All-American and Olympic Gold medalist has guided the Lady Bear basketball program to the pinnacle of women's basketball, the 2005 NCAA national championship, five NCAA Tournament appearances and six 20-win seasons.
The 2005 national title was Baylor's first for a women's team sport and the only basketball national title, men's or women's, in the Big 12 Conference's 10-year history. In winning the 2005 title, Mulkey became the first person, man or woman, to win a basketball national championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
En route to the NCAA championship, the Lady Bears won their first Big 12 Conference championship and were the league's tournament champion as well.
Mulkey has produced amazing results since taking over the reins of the program on April 4, 2000, averaging 26.1 wins a season. In her seven years at the program's helm, she has posted an impressive 172-47 (.785) record which ranks her No. 7 nationally in winning percentage.
Since taking over a squad that was just 7-20 the season prior to her arrival, Mulkey has guided the Lady Bears to six postseason appearances, including five NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the 2003 WNIT finals. In 2004, the Lady Bears made their first trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 and have now played in three straight Sweet 16s.
On Dec. 28, Mulkey became the winningest coach in Baylor women's basketball history with the squad's 89-40 victory over North Carolina A&T. Pam Bowers previously held the record with 168 wins which she accomplished in 15 seasons.
TOUGH STRETCH LOOMING FOR LADY BEARS... Beginning with Wednesday's matchup against Oklahoma, the Lady Bears face a daunting schedule over their next four games, three of which are against teams ranked in the Associated Press' top 25 and one that is just 15 votes shy of cracking the poll.
Baylor lost (76-63) to No. 8 Oklahoma on Wednesday, Jan. 10, and now travels to 19th-ranked Texas A&M on Saturday, Jan. 13, then hosts Kansas State (Sat., Jan. 20) which is just one spot out of the top 25, and finally, play at No. 23 Texas on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
THE LADY BEARS
The Baylor Lady Bears continue Big 12 Conference action after playing its most challenging non-conference schedule in program history. Baylor played three teams ranked among the Associated Press' top 25 (No. 12 Purdue, No. 9 LSU, No. 22 BYU) and two others who were receiving votes (Hofstra, UCLA).
Through 17 games, three players are averaging double-digit scoring but the Lady Bears have plenty of balance as six players average 7.3 or more points a game.
Senior All-America candidate Bernice Mosby leads the way with 18.1 a game while junior point guard Angela Tisdale scores 11.4 points and sophomore guard Jessica Morrow manages 10.1. Freshman post Danielle Wilson scores 9.9 an outing while freshman Latara Darrett tallies 7.9 and sophomore post Rachel Allison scores 7.3.
Mosby is averaging a team-leading 9.0 rebounds a game while Allison is the squad's second-leading rebounder with 6.7 a contest and is followed by Wilson's 6.4.
BAYLOR QUICK HITS...
- Baylor ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division I statistics in blocked shots at 8.31 a game (through game of Jan. 7).
- BU's opponents have averaged just 25.3 first-half points this season. The Lady Bears have held 10 of their 17 opponents to 25 points or less in the first half. In fact, five opponents have been held to 20 or fewer (Hofstra, 18; UCF, 20; Southeast Missouri, 17; North Carolina A&T, 16; Prairie View A&M, 15).
- Since her arrival at Baylor, Kim Mulkey has posted the most victories (172) and the best winning percentage (.785) among Big 12 coaches.
- Prior to shooting back-to-back-to-back season-lows versus Texas Tech (.286), Kansas (.222), and Oklahoma (.370) Baylor had shot an impressive .560 (191-341) in its last five games; .658 (50-76) against Sam Houston State, .621 (41-66) versus UA-Pine Bluff, .469 (30-64) at UCLA, .493 (36-73) against North Carolina A&T and .548 (34-62) versus Prairie View A&M.
- Four Lady Bears have posted double-doubles this season: Bernice Mosby (7, UNT, Hofstra, Purdue, LSU, SEMO, Kansas, Oklahoma), Danielle Wilson (2, LSU & NCAT), Angela Tisdale (SDSU) and Rachel Allison (UAPB).
- Sophomore Rachel Allison recorded her first career double-double versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
- Two freshmen, Danielle Wilson (54) and Bradley (18), have combined for over half of Baylor's blocked shots, 72-of-136. Senior Bernice Mosby has added 22 as well.
- Prior to the Oklahoma game, Angela Tisdale had hit 17-of-39 (.436) from 3-point range over the previous eight games but was 0-5 versus the Sooners.
- Prior to the Oklahoma game, Jessica Morrow, had hit 9-of-17 (.529) from 3-point range over the last eight games but was 0-4 versus the Sooners.
- Danielle Wilson ranks No. 8 nationally in blocked shots (54) and is No. 3 on Baylor's single season top 10. She recently passed former BU great Maggie Davis-Stinnett and needs four to tie Steffanie Blackmon's 58, which she achieved in the 2002-03 season.
- Baylor is 135-12 (.918) under Mulkey when scoring 70 or more points, including 85-3 (.966) when putting 80 or more on the scoreboard. In 2006-07, the Lady Bears are 12-0 when scoring 70 or more points, 9-0 when topping the 80-point barrier.
- Baylor is 74-12 (.861) since the start of the 2004-05 season with nine of the 12 setbacks coming at the hands of nationally ranked opponents. Baylor's last seven losses have come to ranked opponents.
- Baylor players have earned Big 12 Rookie of the Week five of the 10 weeks the award has been selected. Wilson has two selections under her belt while Bernice Mosby has picked up the award twice and Latara Darrett was last week's winner.
- Baylor is the only team in the Big 12 to have three players ranked among the top 20 in rebounding: Mosby, Allison and Wilson.
- In its two losses this season, Baylor is 4-of-33 (.121) from 3-point range compared to 35.7 percent beyond the arc in its 15 wins.
MULKEY VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS...
With Baylor's loss to eighth-ranked Oklahoma on Jan. 10, head coach Kim Mulkey is now 32-32 against ranked opponents, including a 2-2 record this season.
Since a 69-55 loss to No. 15 Texas A&M during the 2004-05 season, Baylor is 16-7 versus ranked opponents.
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 GAMES...
The 2006-07 season marks the 11th year of competition for women's basketball in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor has a record of 94-69 all-time in regular season Big 12 games. However, in Kim Mulkey's six-plus years, Baylor is 67-32 in Big 12 play and has never posted a losing conference record. In 2004-05 the Lady Bears claimed their first-ever Big 12 Conference championship, winning both the regular season and tournament titles.
2000-01 - 9-7
2001-02 - 12-4
2002-03 - 8-8
2003-04 - 10-6
2004-05 - 14-2
2005-06 - 12-4
2006-07 - 2-1
SCOUTING THE AGGIES...
The 19th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 11-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference action, has won all eight of their home games this season and is coming off a victory at Texas Tech, their first win in Lubbock in 27 years.
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 467-209 in his 22nd year as a head coach. Prior to his arrival at Texas A&M, Blair spent eight seasons at Stephen F. Austin (210-43) and 10 years at Arkansas (198-120). In his two-plus seasons in College Station, Blair is 59-46. In addition, he spent five years at Louisiana Tech as a graduate assistant and assistant coach, during that time, Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey was a player for the Lady Techsters. Coach Blair is 6-7 versus Baylor throughout his head coaching career.
Texas A&M is led in scoring by 5-8 sophomore guard Takia Starks' 14.9 points. Junior Morenike Atunrase, a 5-10 junior guard who ranks second on the squad in scoring at 14.3 a game, recently returned to the floor after missing five games due to a fracture in her left foot. Danielle Gant, a 5-11 sophomore guard/forward, is the team's top rebounder, collecting 6.7 a game, while 6-3 sophomore center La Toya Micheaux hauls in 6.1 a contest.
BU PLAYERS VERSUS BIG 12 TEAMS...
With 11 players on their roster and six of them being newcomers, only five current Lady Bears have played against Big 12 opponents.
Angela Tisdale and LaToya Wyatt have each played in five games against the Sooners and three players, sophomores Jessica Morrow, Rachel Allison and Jhasmin Player, have each played three times against Texas A&M.
SERIES RECORD...
Baylor and Texas A&M will meet for the 70th time when the two teams square off on Saturday afternoon. Baylor leads the series, 38-32, and has won 19 of the last 22 and 13 consecutive games versus the Aggies, its longest win string ever in the series. Texas A&M's last victory over BU (76-65) came on Feb. 9, 2000, in College Station.
The Lady Bears are 13-16 versus the Aggies in College Station. Head coach Kim Mulkey owns a 13-1 record against Texas A&M, the lone loss coming on Feb. 9, 2000, in College Station.
COMMON OPPONENTS...
The Lady Bears and the Aggies have faced two common opponents so far this season, Sam Houston State and Texas Tech. Both teams posted wins over both teams. BU downed Sam Houston State 117-50 while the Aggies beat the BearKats 93-43. The contests against Texas Tech were much closer, Baylor won 61-54 at home while Texas A&M posted a 49-47 road victory.
