WBB Welcomes McNeese State Midweek
12/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FSSW | Radio (Baylor Sports Network IMG College 1660 AM/92.9 FM in Waco) | | Twitter | Game Notes
Radio: Baylor Sports Network IMG College, 1660 AM/92.9 FM in Waco
Talent: Rick May (pxp), Lori Fogleman (color)
Live Stats/In-Game:
Twitter: @BaylorWBB | #SicEm
BAYLOR
8-1Ranking: 6 - AP, 6 - Coaches
Last Game: Dec. 5, 2017 win vs. North Dakota, 105-43
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey
Career Record: 514-96 (18th season)
BU Record: 514-96 (18th season)
McNeese State
4-4Ranking: NR - AP, NR - Coaches
Last Game: Dec. 11, 2017 win vs. Louisiana College, 84-46
Head Coach: Kacie Cryer
Career Record: 18-21 (2nd Season)
McNeese Record: 18-21 (2nd Season)
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation
Clearly, the sixth-ranked Baylor Lady Bears have one of the most efficient offenses in the country, averaging 92.3 points per game and shooting 52.9 percent from the field and a phenomenal 44.8 percent from 3-point range.
But, the defensive end is where coach Kim Mulkey believes the Lady Bears are "just a tad better than I thought we would be at this stage playing so many new players."
"You can throw some zone in there and maybe mix some stuff in there," said Mulkey, whose Lady Bears (8-1) host McNeese State (4-4) at noon Wednesday at the Ferrell Center in their final non-conference home game. "I'm a firm believer that you're going to have off nights. We're not going to shoot the ball great many nights. But, if we can get a big rebound, make a defensive stop, get a steal, I think that's important for this team."
Baylor ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring offense, field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage and has a national-best 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio. Mulkey credits point guards Kristy Wallace and freshman Alexis Morris for the team's nearly 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
"Kristy Wallace and Alexis Morris have really distributed the ball well and not turn it over a whole heck of a lot," Mulkey said. "Both of them on the floor at the same time increases that assist-to-turnover ratio. So, I'm not surprised. I'm certainly pleased with Morris, because she's a freshman. With Kristy, you want to see seniors really have good years. And I think Kristy has really started off with a bang."
Wallace (10.2 ppg, 5.2 assists) and Morris (10.6 ppg, 3.4 assists) are two of the Lady Bears' four double-figure scorers.
Mulkey likes when they're both on the floor at the same time, but "you can't do it for long periods of time because of fatigue."
"You've got to make sure that when you do it that it's productive and then get one of them off the floor quickly so that you can have a substitution pattern," she said. "You get a little nervous because of size and rebounding. But I think for transition offense, those two kids can get it off the glass and go."
Playing their first game in eight days, the Lady Bears have spent most of their off time on the defensive end. Particularly for younger players, that's where they can earn more playing time.
"That's the most important part in my game right now as far as going out there and being able to defend their best player," said freshman guard Moon Ursin, "just to show Coach that I'm capable of doing what you need me to do before I step out of my shell. Just get things done that (Mulkey) needs done, that the team needs done, to help us chip away or just give us energy. Whatever I can do."
Sophomore guard Juicy Landrum, who admits that defense was her weakness last year, has nearly doubled her minutes this season (16.1) while averaging 6.0 points per game and shooting a team-best 61.9 percent from outside the arc (13-of-21).
"As the summer progressed, I stayed in the gym working on my help side (defense and things like that," Landrum said. "And then I hear it from Coach, `Juicy, your defense has really improved.'''
McNeese State, which had lost three of its previous four before Monday's 84-46 win over Louisiana College, has a trio of double-figure scorers in 6-0 senior guard Keara Hudnall (13.1 ppg), 5-8 senior guard Dede Sheppard (11.4 ppg) and 5-7 sophomore point guard Caitlin Davis (10.3 ppg, 6.5 assists).
Playing their second Big 12 opponent of the season, the Cowgirls lost to then-No. 2 Texas, 100-34, on Nov. 15 in Austin.
"I don't want us to look at the scoreboard," Mulkey said. "I don't care who we're playing. We need to play and we need to play well against McNeese State and then we need to do the same thing against Nicholls (on Monday in Thibodaux, La.)."
Wednesday's game will be broadcast by Fox Sports Southwest, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris joined by former Lady Bear and current associate director of operations Makenzie Fuller.
"Makenzie is kind of quiet, so John's got his hands full getting her to talk," said Mulkey, Fuller's mom. "I guess I need to talk to her and make sure she doesn't give away all of our secrets and our plays. . . . Now, if it was Kramer (Robertson, Mulkey's son), you might have to take the mic away from him. He's a natural with the microphone."
MIDWEEK MATCHUP
The No. 6/6 Baylor Lady Bears welcome McNeese State for a midweek matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. (CT) inside the Ferrell Center. It is the final home game of the nonconference season for Baylor before the team heads to Nicholls State to play on Monday, Dec. 18, in Thibodaux, La.
FOLLOW ALONG
Wednesday's day game will be shown live on Fox Sports Southwest (FSSW) with John Morris (play-by-play) and former women's basketball player and current associate director of operations Makenzie Fuller (analyst) calling the action. Fans can also listen to Rick May (play-by-play) and Lori Fogleman (analyst) on the Baylor Sports Network, IMG College and 1660AM or 99.1FM in Waco.
SERIES HISTORY
- Baylor leads McNeese State, 8-6, in the all-time series and will meet for the first time in the head coach Kim Mulkey era on Wednesday.
- The Lady Bears have won six-straight matchups against the Cowgirls, dating back to Dec. 5, 1998.
- In Waco, Baylor owns a 6-3 record against McNeese State.
SUMMING UP THE COWGIRLS
- McNeese State was picked to finish sixth in the Southland Conference preseason women's basketball poll.
- The Cowgirls finished sixth last season in conference standings with an 8-10 mark, while posting a 14-17 record overall.
- The team returns six letterwinners and two starters from last year's squad, including sophomore point guard Caitlin Davis and senior forward Mercedes Rogers.
- The roster, led by second-year head coach Kacie Cryer, is comprised of four freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and six seniors.
HOME SWEET HOME
- Baylor has won 64 of its last 65 games played inside the Ferrell Center, including nine in a row.
- Baylor has won 182 consecutive home games vs. non-ranked opponents, dating back to an April 4, 2003, homecourt loss to Auburn in the WNIT finals. BU is 220-4 (.982) in non-league home games under Kim Mulkey.
- Before its defeat by No. 11/13 Texas, 85-79, on Feb. 6, 2017, Baylor owned a 54-game home win streak overall dating back to March 2, 2014, when it lost to 11th-ranked West Virginia, 71-70.
- The Lady Bears have won 71 of their last 72 home games, and are 282-23 (.925) in Mulkey's tenure in the Ferrell Center.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
- Sophomore Lauren Cox, a 6-4 forward, and junior Kalani Brown, a 6-7 center, were called `Double Trouble' by Hall of Famer and Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer and analyst LaChina Robinson posed the question, `are they the best 4/5 combination in women's basketball this year?, following Baylor's win over the No. 16/14 Cardinal.
- The duo accounts for 40.6 percent of the Lady Bears' offensive output this season, netting 337 of the team's 831 points this season.
- The pair has also recorded 36.0 percent of Baylor's rebounding efforts, pulling down 157 of the squad's 436 rebounds this year.
- Against ranked opponents, Brown averages 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting 76.9 percent from the floor.
- Cox, who missed Baylor's game at No. 8/7 UCLA, averages a double-double (14.0 points, 12.0 rebounds) against two ranked opponents faced this season. She also averages 2.0 blocks and 4.5 assists, while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor against Top 25 foes.
- `Double Trouble' is responsible for 42.7 percent of Baylor's scoring and 28.9 percent of Baylor's rebounding efforts against its three ranked opponents.
- Cox and Brown were named to Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Preseason All-Big 12 teams, respectively. Brown was tabbed Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year.
RECORD BY STARTING LINEUP
- With guard Kristy Wallace, guard Natalie Chou, forward Dekeiya Cohen, forward Lauren Cox and center Kalani Brown starting, Baylor is 8-0.
- With guard Alexis Morris, guard Kristy Wallace, guard Natalie Chou, forward Dekeiya Cohen and center Kalani Brown starting, Baylor is 0-1.
MILESTONE ON THE HORIZON
With 931 points, senior guard Kristy Wallace is 69 points away from reaching the 1,000-career points mark. Averaging 10.4 points per game so far this year, she is on track to join the club in seven games. Only 34 players have scored more than 1,000 points in their Baylor careers, most recently junior Kalani Brown.
CLIMBING THE CAREER SCORING LADDER
Junior Kalani Brown surpassed the 1,000-career point mark with 33 points at No. 8/7 UCLA on Saturday, Nov. 18. The Slidell, La., native is the 34th player to score 1,000-plus points for Baylor women's basketball and the first to do so since Khadijiah Cave, who graduated last spring and is playing professionally overseas, on March 4, 2017, in the Big 12 Championship opening round win over Texas Tech.
Through 84 career games, Brown has scored 1,128 points, which ranks 24th all-time at Baylor. She is 58 points from surpassing Jackie Valentine (1979-82), who ranks 23rd with 1,185 career points.
THE MULKEY FILE
- In her 18th season, Kim Mulkey has posted an impressive 514-96 (.843) record which ranks No. 2 nationally in winning percentage among active coaches behind Connecticut's Geno Auriemma (.881).
- Kim Mulkey's 36 seasons as a player and coach have resulted in 36 postseason trips, including 35 to NCAA/AIAW Tournaments.
- In 596 of 610 games under Mulkey, the Lady Bears have held their opponent at or below 50 percent field goal shooting with only six of those efforts coming in the last 14 years.
- Mulkey has accounted for 56.6 percent (514) of the program's 908 all-time victories.
KEEPING IT 100
- The Lady Bears are second nationally in scoring offense (92.3) and field goal percentage (52.9), while leading the way in scoring margin (+33.3).
- Baylor opened the 2017-18 slate with its highest scoring game of the season to date, besting Lamar, 121-62.
- The Lady Bears scored 100 points for the second time in as many games, defeating Coppin State, 100-54. It is the first time the program had started the season with back-to-back scoring efforts since 2013-14 and only the second time overall.
- With its win over Missouri State, the Lady Bears have scored 100 or more points three times in its first five games for the second consecutive season and the third time in program history (1977-78, 2016-17, 2017-18).
- Baylor added its fourth 100-plus point effort against North Dakota, 105-43.
PERFECT IN THE CHALLENGE
- Baylor remained perfect, 2-0, in the Big 12/SEC Challenge with a victory over No. 20/22 Kentucky on Thursday, Nov. 30 in Waco, 90-63.
- The Lady Bears (6-1) handed the Wildcats (6-1) their first loss of the season to take control of the all-time series, 3-2.
- Baylor used a 14-2 run at the 9:04 mark to the 4:27 mark of the second peried to take a 37-23 lead and control of the game.
- The Lady Bear defense did not allow the Wildcats to score a field goal in the third quarter (0-13 FG, 0-1 3FG). Kentucky's six points were scored at the free throw line (6-12 FT).
- Six scored in double figures for the Lady Bears for the second time this season (vs. Lamar on Nov. 10), including Kristy Wallace (20), Alexis Morris (15), Juicy Landrum (14), Lauren Cox (13), Kalani Brown (13) and Dekeiya Cohen (10).
- Wallace secured her third career 20-point effort with her performance and the first since scoring 23 against No. 6/8 Texas on Feb. 29, 2016.
- Landrum matched her career-best, netting 4-of-4 three-point shots against the Wildcats (4-of-4 vs. Coppin State on Nov. 12, 2017). She is shooting 70.6 percent (12-17) from beyond the arc and 63.0 percent from the floor (17-27) this season.
- It marked Baylor's first win of two Top 25 matchups this season, falling on the road to No. 8/7 UCLA on Nov. 18, 82-68. The Lady Bears were without sophomore starter Lauren Cox and head coach Kim Mulkey.
LADY BEARS SWEEP BIG 12 AWARDS
- Sophomore forward Lauren Cox secured her first Big 12 Player of the Week honor and freshman guard Alexis Morris earned her first Big 12 Freshman of the Week award for their efforts at the Junkanoo Jam.
- Cox, who was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week four times last season, averaged a double-double on the weekend (20.0 points, 13 rebounds).
- Cox set or matched single game career-highs with 16 rebounds, seven blocks, three steals, 10 field goals made, 24 field goal attempts and 38 minutes played.
- Cox, a 2017 Big 12 Sixth Man Award and All-Freshman Team honoree, had recorded three double-doubles in as many games (21 points, 10 rebounds vs Central Arkansas; 18 points, 10 rebounds vs Missouri State; 22 points, 16 rebounds vs. Georgia Tech).
- Cox shot 48.6 points from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and was perfect from the charity stripe.
- Morris averaged 14.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.4 rebounds off the bench in Baylor's 2-0 week.
- Morris set career-highs with 17 points and seven field goals made, while adding four assists and three rebounds in 22 minutes against Missouri State.
- Morris scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the fourth time this season with 11 points against Georgia Tech in 24 minutes played. She also added two rebounds and two assists.
- Morris shot 58.8 percent from the floor, 66.7 percent from beyond the arc and was perfect from the free throw line.
- The awards are the first weekly conference awards for Baylor. It is the first time the Lady Bears have swept league honors since Feb. 27, 2017, when Kalani Brown and Cox were named Big 12 Player of the Week and Big 12 Freshman of the Week, respectively.
BACK ON TRACK
- The Lady Bears got back on track in paradise following a tough UCLA road trip, winning the Junkanoo Division of the 2017 Junkanoo Jam in Bimini, Bahamas.
- Baylor opened the tournament with a 100-58 win against Missouri State. The Lady Bears scored 100-plus points in the first five games of the season for the second year in a row and the third time in program history (1977-78, 2016-17, 2017-18).
- BU bested a physical Georgia Tech squad to claim the team championship, 80-57.
- Junior Kalani Brown (21.5 points per game, 5.0 blocks per game, 78.3 field goal percentage, Tournament MVP) and sophomore Lauren Cox (20.0 points per game, 13.0 rebounds per game, 5.0 blocks per game) were named to the Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament Team for their performance in the two-game stretch.
SEEING 20/20
- Against Lamar on Nov. 10, junior All-American Kalani Brown recorded the program's first 20-point, 20-rebound performance since March 26, 2013, when WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner registered 33 points and 22 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
- Brown accomplished the feat with 26 points (11-16 FG, 4-5 FT) and 21 rebounds (5 offensive, 16 defensive) in 32 minutes played.
BIG 12 PRESEASON AWARDS
- For the eighth time in program history and the third year in a row, league coaches selected a Baylor women's basketball player Preseason Player of the Year, junior All-American center Kalani Brown.
- Brown earned WBCA All-American and Associated Press honorable mention All-American accolades in addition to being named unanimously to the All-Big 12 first team in 2017.
- The Slidell, La., native led Baylor in scoring (15.4), rebounding (8.2), shot blocking (2.0) and field goal percentage (.679), despite averaging just 21.4 minutes per game last season.
- Sophomore forward Lauren Cox and senior guard Kristy Wallace were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention team.
- Cox, the reigning Big 12 Sixth Man Award winner, was named to the All-Freshman team after averaging 7.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last year.
- Wallace, who started every game for the Lady Bears last season, led the team in assists (208) and was second in the Big 12 in assists (5.6) and steals (1.3).
NATIONAL AWARDS RUNDOWN
- Junior Kalani Brown is in consideration for three national player of the year awards and the nation's top center award.
- The 6-7 center has been named to the 2018 Citizen Player of the Year Watch List (national player of the year), 2018 Wade Trophy Watch List (national player of the year), 2018 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 (national player of the year) and the 2018 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List (nation's top center).
- A WBCA All-American and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American in 2017, Brown was tabbed Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and named to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team.
- Brown, who leads the nation in field goal percentage (77.3), is seventh in points per game (23.0) and ninth in field goals made (85). She averages just under a double-double, leading Baylor in points per game and field goal percentage, and is second in rebounds per game (8.2).
- Sophomore Lauren Cox is in consideration for the 2018 Katrina McClain Award (nation's top power forward), presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the WBCA.
- Cox, who has recorded four double-doubles in her last six games played, is averaging 16.3 points, a team-high 10.4 rebounds and a team-high 3.0 blocks per contest.
- The 2017 Six Man Award recipient and Big 12 All Freshman Team honoree is shooting 51.4 percent from the floor and 25.0 percent from three-point range.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
- The Lady Bears have made 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 16 overall. Those appearances have resulted in two national championships (2005, 2012), three Final Fours (2005, 2010, 2012), eight Elite Eights and 12 Sweet Sixteens.
- Baylor has won seven consecutive Big 12 regular season and six of the last seven tournament titles. Overall the program has won eight regular season and eight tournament conference championships, most among all Big 12 programs.
- Baylor is 249-21 (.922) over the past eight seasons, 34-3 in 2010-11, 40-0 in 2011-12, 34-2 in 2012-13, 32-5 in 2013-14, 33-4 in 2014-15, 36-2 in 2015-16, 33-4 in 2016-17, and 8-1 in 2017-18.
- In that same span, BU is 136-8 (.944) in Big 12 play -- 118-7 (.944) in the regular season and 20-1 in Big 12 Tournament play.
- 218 of Baylor's 249 wins since 2010-11 have been by 10 or more points, and only 14 times in that span has its winning margin been five or fewer points (most recently three, 70-67, at No. 6/8 Texas, Feb. 20, 2017).
- In Baylor's last 411 games, only three opponents (Texas, .516; Stanford, .509; West Virginia, .500) have shot 50 percent or above.
- Baylor's current string of holding its opponent to .500 or less from the field is 20 games.
- BU's string is 103-straight games holding its foe to .500 or below from the field was halted by No. 11/13 Texas, which shot .516 for a win on Feb. 6, 2017.
- In the 2012-13 season, the Cardinal broke BU's 217-game streak of holding an opponent to 50 percent or less shooting from the floor.
MULKEY SIGNS TOP RECRUITING CLASS
The Lady Bear 2018 class, comprised of forward Caitlin Bickle (Cave Creek, Ariz.), forward Aquira DeCosta (Sacramento, Calif.), forward Queen Egbo (Houston, Texas), guard Honesty Scott-Grayson (Brick, N.J.) and forward NaLyssa Smith (Converse, Texas), is ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN Hoopgurlz and Prospects Nation.
Each player owns a five-star rating and is ranked in the Top 30 overall by ESPN Hoopgurlz, solidifying Baylor's most talented class to date. The only other consensus top-ranked class in program history came in 2008-09, when Brittney Griner (No. 1 by ESPN Hoopgurlz), Mariah Chandler (No. 16), Jordan Madden (No. 58), Shanay Washington (No. 64) and Kimetria Hayden (unranked) signed NLIs.
A CHALLENGING SLATE
- Baylor will face nine programs, Central Arkansas, UCLA, Kentucky, Stanford, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia, that made the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17.
- Nine of those teams were represented in the preseason Top 25 polls, including No. 2/6 Texas, No. 7/8 UCLA, No. 10/9 Stanford, No. 13/15 West Virginia, No. 22/21 Oklahoma, rv/rv Georgia Tech, rv/rv Kansas State, rv/rv Kentucky and rv/nr Oklahoma State.
