Baylor
UTRGV
No. 7/6 WBB Hosts UTRGV on New Year's Eve
12/30/2018 2:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Baylor and the Vaqueros to face off at Noon at the Ferrell Center
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#7/6 BAYLOR LADY BEARS (8-1) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Kim Mulkey (La. Tech, 1984) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
#7/6 BAYLOR (8-1) vs UTRGV (6-6) December 31, 2018 • NOON Waco, Texas • Ferrell Center (10,284) LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast WATCH: Facebook Live Talent: Bruce Gietzen (PBP), Maggie Davis-Stinnett (Color) LISTEN: BaylorBears.com/1660 AM/92.3 FM Talent: Bruce Gietzen (PBP), Maggie Davis-Stinnett (Color) Baylor Social Media:    Channel Lineup: DISH: n/a SPECTRUM: n/a SUDDENLINK: n/a ONLINE: n/a |
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UTRGV VAQUEROS (6-6) Location: Edinburg, Texas Conference: WAC Head Coach: Lane Lord (Tabor College, 1983) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
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HOME FLOOR STREAKS ON THE LINE VS. UTRGV
The Lady Bears return home for the first time since Dec. 12, when Baylor defeated Morehead State 96-58. UTRGV, formerly UT Pan American comes to Waco for the first time since UTPA and UT-Brownsville merged to create UT-Rio Grande Valley in 2015. BU's win over Morehead State was the 26th-straight win at the Ferrell Center for the Lady Bears overall and the 43rd-straight over non-conference opponents at home. Baylor's last loss at home was Feb. 6, 2017 to Big 12 foe, Texas (85-79), and its last loss to a non-conference opponent at the Ferrell Center came Jan. 13, 2014 to UConn (66-55).
UTRGV IN SHORT
When UTRGV was created, it took UTPA's conference affiliation with the Western Athletic Conference in the merger, one that began with the 2013-14 school year. Baylor has faced UTPA just once since the program joined the WAC with a 96-42 win over UTPA Dec. 3, 2014 in Waco. The Vaqueros (6-6) are under the direction of first-year head coach and Waco, Texas native, Lane Lord, who replaced former Baylor assistant coach Larry Tidwell whose tenure in Edinburg lasted five seasons. Lord comes from the NCAA Division II ranks where he coached Pittsburg State and compiled a 232-102 in 11 seasons. The Vaqueros' Idil Turk leads the team in scoring at 11.3 points per contest. UTRGV shoots just 37.7 percent from the floor but is a danger from long range, hitting 80 3-point field goals at a .315 clip in 12 games.
MOVING ON AFTER THE LOSS AT NO. 11/11 STANFORD
Pac-12 teams have dealt Baylor each of its last two losses to Top 25 teams in the regular season. BU fell at No. 8/9 UCLA Nov. 18, 2017 with the absence of head coach Kim Mulkey and All-American Lauren Cox contributing to shortcoming a season ago. And, before a 16-day holiday break on Dec. 15, a 17-point halftime deficit coupled by a first-half shooting percentage of 19.4 percent proved to be too big a hole for the Lady Bears to climb out of at No. 11/11 Stanford. Despite outscoring the Cardinal by 12 points in the second half and cutting the lead to five points to close the game, Baylor could not complete the comeback, and Stanford handed Baylor's first loss of the season. The Lady Bears shot much better in the second half, hitting 15 of 27 shots (.555), but overall Baylor's 34.9 percent shooting percentage for the game was the lowest in three seasons (30.5, 18-56, at Oklahoma State, Dec. 30, 2015). Still, despite the fact that All-Americans Kalani Brown and Cox combined for seven points, Baylor's resilience in the second half showed moxie.
POUND THE PAINT, CLEAN THE GLASS: LADY BEARS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN REBOUNDING, SCORING EFFICIENCY
In 11 statistical categories, the Lady Bears rank in the top 10 nationally. But, the Lady Bears are tops in the nation (thru games Dec. 29) in field goal percentage (.534), assists per game (23.6), defensive rebounds per game (35.0) and rebound margin (+20.9) while ranking third in field goal percentage defense (.308). The Lady Bears' Kalani Brown ranks 17th in field goal percentage (615) and Chloe Jackson ranks 21st in assists per game (5.9). Baylor's rebounding is a staple of the program, and the Lady Bears have out-rebounded all nine opponents this season, Baylor won the rebounding battle in 34 of 35 contests last year, and in 78 of the last 81 contests, BU has had the upper hand on the boards.
LADY BEARS ON THE RUN
Baylor's 15-0 run at No. 18/19 South Carolina (12/2) beginning with the last seven points of the first quarter and the first eight of the second marked the eighth run of 10 or more unanswered on the season. The Lady Bears have also put together three runs of 20 or more points, and the only games in which BU hasn't had a run of 10 or more came in a 21-point win over Georgetown (11/24), a 38-point win over Morehead State (12/12) and a five-point loss at Stanford (12/15). In addition, Baylor is out-scoring opponents 123-34 on the fast break this season.
SHARING IS CARING: BAYLOR LEADS NATION IN ASSISTS PER GAME
Baylor's 23.6 assists per contest ranks No. 1 in the nation. In fact, out of Baylor's 304 made field goals this season, the Lady Bears have assisted on 212 marking 69.7 percent of the team's buckets coming on an assist from a teammate.
50 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER: BAYLOR NEARLY UNBEATABLE WHEN HITTING HALF ITS SHOTS
In just one occurrence since Kim Mulkey's arrival at Baylor in the 2000-01 season have the Lady Bears lost a game when shooting 50 percent or better. Baylor's record under Mulkey when shooting 50 percent or better is 206-1, and the Lady Bears are 33-0 when shooting 60 percent or better. The lone loss came in the 2017 NCAA Tournament when Baylor fell to Mississippi State in the Elite 8, 94-85 on March 26 despite shooting 53.3 percent from the floor.
JACKSON, LANDRUM THRIVING AT POINT GUARD OUT OF POSITION
Head Coach Kim Mulkey said at the Big 12 Women's Basketball Tipoff Oct. 16 that she had never entered a season without knowing who her point guard would be. Despite that fact, Baylor has had no trouble distributing or sharing the ball through nine games this season. Through Dec. 12, Baylor ranked tops in the nation in assists per game (24.9) and No. 5 in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.51).
Chloe Jackson and Juicy Landrum, true-two guards, are the Lady Bears' primary point guards this season and both have met the challenge thus far with success. Jackson ranks 21st in nation in assists per game (5.9) while Landrum ranks 32nd in the country in assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.6:1. Landrum is second on the team with 39 assists (4.3 p/g), and DiDi Richards is averaging 3.9 assists per contest through nine games.
I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE, SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME: BROWN & COX EARN ANOTHER SPOT ON PROMINENT WATCH LIST
Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox garnered recognition from several voting entities for the upcoming season. The latest came Nov. 20 when the WBCA put both players on the Wade Trophy Watch List – Brown's second time to be a selection. The John Wooden Award selected both players to the Top 30 Watch List for its annual All-American team and Most Outstanding Player award.
The senior, Brown, and junior Cox have been tabbed by many as the best post combo in the nation, and the pair has combined for six preseason All-America honors with Brown taking home four and Cox a pair. Brown was a first-team selection by the Associated Press, Athlon, Street & Smith's and Lindy's Sports while Cox earned second-team nods from Athlon and Street & Smith's.
Both players were selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 team and Brown was selected to repeat as Big 12 Player of the Year. Brown is also on the WBCA's Lisa Leslie Award Watch List for the nation's top center while Cox is on the Katrina McCalin Award Watch List for top power forward.
BAYLOR SIGNS TOP-10 PROSPECT OLIVER AS LONE ADDITION TO 2019 SIGNING CLASS
A year after signing five players and accepting a graduate transfer, Jordyn Oliver gets all the Lady Bears' attention this season as the No. 10-ranked national prospect (Collegiate Girls Basketball Report) signed with Baylor. Oliver, a Prosper, Texas native is a 3-time TABC All-State selection, and was also ranked No. 11 by ESPN Hoopgurlz.
MULKEY'S MIDAS TOUCH: 1,100 WINS
Everything head coach Kim Mulkey touches doesn't necessarily turn to gold, but if it has to do with college basketball, nearly everything she touches results in a win. Baylor's win vs. Nicholls (Nov. 6) gave Mulkey 1,100 wins combined as a collegiate player (130, La. Tech), assistant coach (430, La. Tech) & head coach (540, Baylor). In those capacities, Mulkey's teams are a combined 1,100-192 for an astounding .851 winning percentage.
FIERCE FIVE: FISH EAGER TO MAKE MARK AFTER SELECTION AS NO. 1 RECRUITING CLASS
For the second time in program history, the Baylor women's basketball team signed the nation's top recruiting class and the "Fierce Five" freshmen are three games deep into 2018-19. Caitlin Bickle, Aquira DeCosta, Queen Egbo, Honesty Scott-Grayson and NaLyssa Smith all signed with the Lady Bears and all were ranked in the Top 30 overall by ESPN Hoopgurlz and boasted a five-star rating. Smith is shining brightest through the first nine games averaging 12.1 points and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per contest while picking up the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Week award Nov 12.
UCONN LOOMS CONCLUDING NON-CONFERNECE SCHEDULE BOASTING FOUR TOP 25 OPPONENTS
While UTRGV and Baylor will help bring in the New Year Monday with its Noon matchup, Lady Bears nation might have trouble keeping its mind of the Jan. 3 tangle at home vs. No. 1 UConn. The Huskies are the last non-conference opponent to beat Baylor in Waco (Jan. 13, 2014), and the Lady Bears will have upset on their minds heading into the Big 12 opener in Lubbock at Texas Tech, Jan. 6. Baylor and UConn will play on ESPN at 8 p.m. CDT in the matchup of Top 10 teams.
