WBB Travels to Meet Nicholls State

Game 11

BAYLOR at NICHOLLS STATE

MEDIA INFORMATION

TV: Eleven Sports
Radio: Baylor Sports Network IMG College, 1660 AM/92.9 FM in Waco
Talent: Rick May (pxp), Lori Fogleman (color)
Live Stats/In-Game: Nicholls State
Twitter: @BaylorWBB | #SicEm

MATCHUP

BAYLOR

9-1
Ranking: 6 - AP, 6 - Coaches
Last Game: Dec. 13, 2017 win vs. McNeese State, 95-34
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey
Career Record: 515-96 (18th season)
BU Record: 515-96 (18th season)

Nicholls State

5-4
Ranking: NR - AP, NR - Coaches
Last Game: Dec. 11, 2017 win at Mississippi Valley State, 62-57
Head Coach: DoBee Plaisance
Career Record: 263-391 (22nd Season)
NSU Record: 107-167 (10th Season)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Whether it was a trip to Queens for New York native Danielle Wilson, a game at Rice for Houstonian Brittney Griner or last year's trip to Tennessee for Memphis-born Nina Davis, Kim Mulkey has made an effort to schedule "homecoming" games.

"You tell them that in recruiting, we will try to play in your hometown area," the Baylor coach said. "I remember when I was their age. You want to go back home and play in front of your family and let people see where you are in your career."

Still a Louisiana girl at heart, Mulkey gets the chance to go back home when her sixth-ranked Lady Bears (9-1) travel to Thibodaux, La., to face Nicholls State (5-4) at 7 p.m. Monday at 3,800-seat Stopher Gymnasium.

"I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to eat at every meal," said Mulkey, who traveled early to see her son, Kramer Robertson, graduate from LSU on Friday. "I've said that from the time I've been here. This is my home now, but I miss the food. I miss the fresh seafood, I miss the seasoning. I miss all that, and I'm really looking forward to it."

Also going back to "God's country," as Mulkey calls it, are junior All-American Kalani Brown from Slidell, La., and freshman guard Moon Ursin from Destrehan, La.

"I'm excited that the girls get to see where me and Moon are from," said Brown, who ranks sixth in the nation at 22.4 points per game. "I'm excited to play in front of my family. They're all calling for tickets, and I'm asking everybody, trying to scramble for tickets. I'm really excited to play in front of my family."

Ursin, a two-time Louisiana Miss Basketball pick who led Destrehan High School to the 5A state championship last year, said "it's fun to able to go back home and see the people who've been supporting me from age 1."

"Just to be able to play in front of them again, just to see their faces and be graced with their presence, it's a blessing to me," Ursin said. "And I just want to thank the coaches for that opportunity."

Mulkey, a Tickfaw, La., native who has been inducted into the Louisiana High School, Louisiana Sports and Louisiana Tech Athletics halls of fame, joined the team when the Lady Bears flew into New Orleans on Saturday after her side trip to Baton Rouge for Kramer's graduation. On her food wish list for the Louisiana trip were gumbo and crawfish etouffee.

"I'm not big on beans and rice. Those beans have to be done just right," she said.

Other than Kramer's graduation and the endless Cajun meals, Mulkey will be focused on the Lady Bears' matchup against the Nicholls State Colonels in their final pre-conference game. After a break for Christmas, they travel to Manhattan, Kan., to open league play against Kansas State (7-2) on Dec. 28.

"Christmas is always enjoyable for all of us to be home with our families," Mulkey said. "But in the back of my mind, I know what we're facing after Christmas. So, it's like I'm opening these presents over here, I'm smiling and I'm eating fudge and eating turkey. But over here, I'm like, `Ugh, I need to get in the film room,' because the league is just good. It's been good for many years."

Nicholls State has won four in a row and is led by 5-10 junior guard Cassidy Barrios (16.2 ppg, 9.4 rebounds) and 5-6 sophomore guard Tykeria Williams (13.3 ppg). They each scored 14 in the Colonels' 62-57 road win over Mississippi Valley on Friday.

Baylor, ranked No. 1 in the nation with 92.6 points per game, counters with four double-figure scorers in Brown, 6-4 sophomore Lauren Cox (14.8 ppg, 9.4 rebounds), senior guard Kristy Wallace (11.2 ppg, 5.2 assists) and freshman guard Alexis Morris (11.2 ppg).

The Lady Bears are 2-0 all-time against Nicholls State, with both of the previous games held in Waco. Baylor defeated the Colonels, 93-44, on Nov. 22, 2003 and then won, 111-58, on Nov. 14, 2013.

Mulkey plans to rest senior forward Dekeiya Cohen and Cox, who suffered a sprained ankle in Wednesday's 95-34 win over McNeese State, and get them ready for conference play.

"Don't make excuses for us," said Mulkey, who has only seven available players with freshman guard Trinity Oliver already out with a torn ACL. "I don't usually play but eight or nine anyway. If you can play, you can be on that floor. The only thing a small bench does is it eliminates some things in drills in practice. . . . I think it also makes them have a stronger camaraderie and bond and a closeness than maybe a larger team."

Monday's game will be broadcast by Eleven Sports, a network launched in March 2017 that is available in 70 million homes worldwide in Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan and the U.S. It is available nationally on DirecTV 623 and AT&T U-verse 1665.

NONCONFERENCE FINALE
The No. 6/6 Baylor Lady Bears traveled to meet Nicholls State for their nonconference season finale on Monday, Dec. 18. The game, slated to tip off at 7 p.m. (CT), will be aired live on Eleven Sports.

FOLLOW ALONG
Monday's game will air live on Eleven Sports with Garrett Walvoord (play-by-play) and Jordy Hultberg (analyst) calling the action. Fans can also tune in to Rick May (play-by-play) and Lori Fogleman (analyst) on the Baylor Sports Network, IMG College and 1660AM or 99.1FM in Waco.

HOME COOKING
- Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey (Hammond, La.), junior center Kalani Brown (Slidell, La.) and freshman guard Moon Ursin (Destrehan, La.) will be coaching and playing in their home state of Louisiana.
- Mulkey is a Louisiana High School Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
- Mulkey led the Lady Techsters to a 130-6 (.956) record, two national titles and four Final Fours from 1980-84.
- At Hammond High School, Mulkey led her team to four consecutive state championships and a 136-5 record, while netting a then-national record 4,075 points.
- Brown attended Salmen High School, where she is the all-time leader with 2,392 points, 1,472 rebounds and 605 blocks.
- Brown led the Spartans to four consecutive Class 4A State Championship games, winning titles in 2013 and 2014.
- Brown was named the Times-Picayune Player of the Year twice, Gatorade Player of the Year, McDonald's All-American and Naismith All-American.
- Ursin led Destrehan High School to a Class 5A State Championship in 2017 with a 35-0 record.
- Ursin is the first player to ever secure three Gatorade Player of the Year awards. She was also named Miss Basketball in Louisiana twice.
- Ursin was selected District 7-5A MVP and Defensive Player of the Year three times.
- After family and friends, the trio misses the cuisine in Louisiana most.

THE SERIES
- Baylor leads Nicholls State, 2-0, in the all-time series.
- Each win has been under the direction of head coach Kim Mulkey.
- The previous matchups were both played in Waco with the Lady Bears winning, 93-44, on Nov. 22, 2003, and, 111-58, on Nov. 14, 2013.
- Monday's game is the first away game of the series.

A LOOK AT THE COLONELS
- Nicholls State brings a four-game win streak into Monday's matchup and is 5-4 on the season.
- The Colonels were picked to finish ninth in the Southland Conference.
- Junior guard Cassidy Barrios, who is leading the team in scoring (16.2) and rebounding (9.4) so far this year, was named to the Preseason All-Southland Conference second team.
- The roster, comprised of six freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors and two seniors, is led by 10th-year head coach DoBee Plaisance