Box Score By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation
Because of the name across the front of their jerseys and the national ranking that precedes their name, the No. 5 Baylor Lady Bears are going to get everybody's shot.
Southern Mississippi did exactly that Monday night, hitting five of its first 11 shots, jumping out to a surprising five-point lead and going into the second quarter up by one.
But once the Lady Bears (2-0) relaxed and started getting their transition game going, they dominated the Golden Eagles the last three quarters and pulled away for a 97-42 blowout victory in the Preseason WNIT quarterfinal at the Ferrell Center.
"That could happen a lot this year," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said of the slow start. "We've got Baylor written across (the front of the jersey), and you're going to get everybody's best shot. People are excited to play you. So, you've got to come out of the gates ready, and sometimes you just need to give credit to your opponent. I thought we withstood it, and we were able to play a lot of kids."
Six players scored in double figures, led by Alexis Prince with 16, as Baylor advanced to the Preseason WNIT semifinals for a matchup at 7 p.m. Thursday against 19th-ranked South Florida (2-0).
"Let me say this about South Florida, we need a good crowd here Thursday," Mulkey said. "That team has five returning starters, they have nine international players. . . . They only lost seven games (last season) and three of those were to Connecticut. That team is poised right now, that team is polished. We're not right now."
That showed in the first quarter, when the Lady Bears missed 12 of their first 15 shots, turned it over four times and fell behind 11-6. Senior guard Jerontay Clemons, who led all scorers with 18 points, came off the bench to hit four of her first six shots and drained a jumper at the buzzer to give the Golden Eagles (1-1) a 15-14 lead.
"If there's anything this team can take from this game, it's the first quarter," said Southern Miss coach Joye Lee-McNiels. "I thought we played with no fear in the first quarter. We played with a lot of heart and soul. . . . But obviously, when you shoot 25 percent and have 31 turnovers, you're not going to win much of anything."
Niya Johnson, who took only one shot in Friday's season-opening 62-20 win over UT-Arlington, scored half of the Lady Bears' 14 first-quarter points and then gave them the lead for good with an offensive rebound and putback at the start of the second. She finished with 15 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.
"I was just trying to do whatever it takes to win the game and just get the team going," Johnson said. "Prince didn't have a good first game, so I was trying to get her confidence up and just lead the way."
Getting a lift off the bench from 6-4 freshman Beatrice Mompremier, Baylor outscored Southern Miss 22-7 in the second quarter and took a 36-22 lead into the locker room.
"I don't know if many people in the country can even battle them with the size they have," Lee-McNiels said. "When you bring in the size they bring in off the bench, it makes a difference. When you have Nina Davis in there, a smaller team has a chance to compete. But when you bring in the trees, it makes it a little bit more difficult to score in that block area."
Baylor's defense locked in during the second half, holding the Golden Eagles to just 20 points on 25 percent shooting (6-of-24), forcing 17 of their 31 turnovers and blocking six shots.
Prince, who was scoreless and missed all 11 shots in the opener, was a sizzling 5-of-6 from the field in the final quarter and scored 13 of the team's 36 points. Davis, Alexis Jones and Kalani Brown scored 10 apiece, while sophomore guard Kristy Wallace had 11 points and six assists with no turnovers.
Davis said the key for the Lady Bears in the final three quarters was "just getting more relaxed."
"A lot of credit to their defense, they came at us," she said. "We were throwing the ball into the post early, and they were sending double- and triple-teams. But, we just have to relax and find open players, We just have to find open players, and we came out kind of struggling. But, we found out rhythm and figured it out."
