No. 4/4 WBB Takes on TCU in Fort Worth Saturday

Saturday, January 12

Fort Worth, Texas

3 p.m.

Baylor

TCU

No. 4/4 WBB Takes on TCU in Fort Worth Saturday

1/8/2019 3:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Lady Bears aim for 28th straight win over Big 12 opponents on the road



	^#4/4 BAYLOR LADY BEARS (12-1, 2-0) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Kim Mulkey (La. Tech, 1984) Roster \| Stats \| Game Notes	^#4/4 BAYLOR (12-1, 2-0) vs TCU (11-3, 1-2) Jan. 12, 2019 • 3 p.m. Fort Worth, Texas • Schollmaier Arena (6,800) LIVE STATS: SIDEARM Stats WATCH: Fox Sports Southwest / Fox Sports Go App Talent: Ron Thulin (PBP), Jada Butts (Color) LISTEN: BaylorBears.com/1660 AM/92.9 FM Talent: Bruce Gietzen (PBP), Maggie Davis-Stinnett (Color) Baylor Social Media: Channel Lineup: DISH: 416 DIRECTV: 676 UVERSE: 753/1753 GRANDE: 27

	TCU HORNED FROGS (11-3, 1-2) Location: Fort Worth, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Raegan Pebley (Colorado, 1997) Roster \| Stats \| Game Notes

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

How is it that in a year when Baylor doesn't have a true point guard, the Lady Bears lead the country in assists per game (22.9)?

Not only that, even with a pair of natural shooting guards sharing the point guard duties, the fourth-ranked Lady Bears (12-1, 2-0) aren't turning it over, either. They're fourth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.63 and have four individuals ranked in the top 50 going into Saturday's 3 p.m. matchup against TCU (11-3, 1-2) in Fort Worth.

"Wow! Wow!" Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said of their national rankings in assists. "I take great pride in assist-to-turnover ratio, so that's a stat that does impress me with the group we have and particularly when you have a new point guard that's never played that position."

LSU transfer Chloe Jackson has been up to the task at point guard, tying for the Big 12 lead and 13^th nationally with Kansas State's Kayla Goth at 6.0 assists per game. But, it's been a collective team effort, with three other players averaging at least three per game – guards DiDi Richards (4.2) and Juicy Landrum (3.9) and 6-4 junior forward Lauren Cox (3.1).

Easily one of the best passers on the team, Cox leads the Big 12 and ranks 15^th nationally with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.86. That's nearly three assists for every turnover.

"I think that speaks volumes that we're handling any pressure on the perimeter; and 2, we're getting it to open shooters," Mulkey said. "As I tell them, it's not too difficult to throw it in there to our post players."

It wasn't that easy in Wednesday's 65-50 win at home over Kansas State, when the Wildcats frustrated Baylor's post offense with a sagging man-to-man defense that packed the paint and denied passes into the 6-4 Cox and 6-7 senior All-American Kalani Brown. Cox had a team-high five assists, with the Lady Bear guards accounting for just 10 of Baylor's 18 assists.

"I thought in the K-State game, we didn't pull the trigger quick enough," Mulkey said. "They were open. I tell them, they're only going to be open about two seconds. We just didn't get it to them. Whether it's a lob or a bounce pass, we've got to do a better job getting it to them quicker."

Particularly in the fourth quarter, the difference against K-State was Mulkey going to the "big lineup" with 6-2 freshman NaLyssa Smith joining Cox and Brown.

"We did OK with the two-headed monster," K-State coach Jeff Mittie said of facing Brown and Cox. "But, when they brought Smith in there, it made it really tough for us to defend them."

After the Wildcats took a 42-41 lead late in the third quarter, Baylor outscored them, 24-8, over the last 13 minutes to pull away for their 30^th consecutive win in the series and 29^th home-court victory in a row.

Smith, who is second on the team with 11.8 points per game, said she likes the "big lineup" the most "because I'm on the floor with people that are older than me and people that know the game. Playing with them, they tell me what to do and keep me right."

When Baylor trailed Arizona State by as many as 14 points in the first half in the "Showdown on the Rez" back in November, Mulkey insert Smith in the game and she responded with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the 65-59 come-from-behind win.

And then in last week's huge 68-57 upset of top-ranked UConn, the 6-2 freshman forward had four offensive boards and finished with 12 points and six rebounds. In last Sunday's Big 12 opener at Texas Tech, 6-3 freshman center Queen Egbo had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the 73-56 win.

"They're a different style of basketball player than Kalani and Cox," Mulkey said of her freshman duo. "It's good to see them grow each day and have to guard Kalani and Cox. . . . Queen, as you saw in the Texas Tech game, what her potential is and her athleticism. Geez! She can just elevate over you and score it. What those two bring to the floor is offensive rebounding like you haven't seen at Baylor in a while. It's just a knack."

On Thursday, Brown (15.1 ppg, 7.4 rebounds) and Cox (11.3 ppg, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) were named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 along with 6-1 senior guard Bridget Carleton from Iowa State.

Baylor has dominated the series against TCU, 35-5, including a 13-0 record in the Mulkey era. The Lady Bears have won 24 straight in the series since an 83-76 loss to the Frogs on Feb. 28, 1990, in Fort Worth.

TCU got off to the best start in program history at 11-1 under fifth-year head coach Raegan Pebley before dropping back-to-back road games at Oklahoma State and 20^th-ranked Iowa State.

"Raegan Pebley has just worked extremely hard to build the TCU program to a level that is good. And they are good," Mulkey said. "They play hard, they work hard, they mix up their defenses. It's always a tough game when we play them. They go to the offensive boards hard. Even though we're bigger than they are, it's always a tough battle."

TCU also has size inside with 6-3 senior center Jordan Moore, who is averaging 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds and ranks fifth nationally with a 67.2 field goal percentage. Junior guard Kianna Ray is averaging 10.2 points per game and leads the Big 12 with a 45.7 shooting percentage from 3-point range, while reigning Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Amy Okonkwo chips in with 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Saturday's game will be broadcast by FOX Sports Southwest, with Ron Thulin and former TCU standout Jada Butts calling the action.

BAYLOR OPENS BIG 12 PLAY 2-0, NOTCHING 24^TH-STRAIGHT BIG 12 REGULAR-SEASON WIN OVER K-STATE
   Sunday Baylor delivered head coach Kim Mulkey with her 550^th career win at Texas Tech and Wednesday the Lady Bears opened their Big 12 home slate with a 15-point win over K-State. Saturday vs. TCU, Baylor has a chance to give Mulkey her 250^th career win vs. Big 12 opponents in the regular season at 3 p.m. vs. the Horned Frogs.
   With a short bench last season, All-Americans Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox's 2017-18 season statistics were inflated as the post duo carried the load. This season, as has been the case all year long, balance has been the story line. Through two Big 12 games, four Lady Bears are averaging double figures in conference play while Chloe Jackson is 0.5 points per game away from being the fifth. Freshmen posts Queen Egbo (12.0) and NaLyssa Smith (10.5) are taking some of the scoring load, while Brown leads the team at 13 points per contest, and Cox is averaging 10.5 while leading Baylor in rebounding at 7.0 per contest.

TCU IN SHORT
   Fifth year head coach Raegan Pebley has the Horned Frogs playing well in 2018-19, especially at home where they boast a 9-0 record including their lone Big 12 win over West Virginia (Jan. 2, 62-48). Three players average in double figures with Jordan Moore leading the way at 16 points per contest. She far and away leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage at a .672 clip (92-137). Amy Okonkwo is second on the team at 10.4 points per game and Kianna Ray averages 10.2. TCU is coming off back-to-back losses vs. Big 12 opponents on the road, falling at Oklahoma State Sunday (75-71) and at No. 20/22 Iowa State Wednesday (92-54). Baylor will be looking for its 25^th-straight win over TCU and 28^th consecutive victory on the road vs. Big 12 opponents in the regular season.

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 (thru games Jan. 9) rank tops in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (35.0), rebound margin (+19.2) and field goal percentage defense (.298) while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.508). The Lady Bears boast two players in the nation's Top 25 in field goal percentage with Kalani Brown ranking 20th (.598) and NaLyssa Smith checking in at 24th (.586). Baylor's rebounding is a staple of the program, and the Lady Bears have out-rebounded all 13 opponents this season, Baylor won the rebounding battle in 34 of 35 contests last year, and in 82 of the last 85 contests, BU has had the upper hand on the boards.

LADY BEARS ON THE RUN
   Baylor has 14 runs this season of at least 10 unanswered points including one in each of the first two Big 12 contests. In nine of 13 games this season, the Lady Bears have had at least one such run, and Baylor has also put together three runs of 20 or more points. In addition, Baylor is out-scoring opponents 139-34 on the fast break this season.

SHARING IS CARING: BAYLOR LEADS NATION IN ASSISTS PER GAME
   Baylor's 22.9 assists per contest ranks best in the nation led by Chloe Jackson's 6.0 assists per contest (ranks 13th nationally) while Lauren Cox's assists-to-turnover ratio of 2.86:1 ranks 14^th nationally and DiDi Richards' 2.79:1 mark ranks 23rd in the nation. In fact, out of Baylor's 431 made field goals this season, the Lady Bears have assisted on 298 marking 69.1 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 13 games this season. Through Jan. 9, Baylor ranked tops in the nation in assists per game (22.9) and No. 4 in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.63).
   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 13th in nation in assists per game (6.0) while Landrum ranks 41st in the country in assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.32:1. Landrum is third on the team with 51 assists (3.9 p/g), and DiDi Richards is averaging 4.2 assists per contest through 13 games and ranks 23rd in the nation in assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.62:1.

BROWN AND COX NAMED TO WOODEN TROPHY AWARD MIDSEASON TOP 25 WATCH LIST
   Both Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox collected numerous postseason accolades after the 2017-18 season, which resulted in a multitude of 2018-19 preseason honors. Jan. 9, the post duo earned spots on the John Wooden Trophy Award Midseason Top 25 watch list. Last season, Brown was recognized as a top-five finalist for the award.

BAYLOR PLAYERS PAY FOR MULKEY'S 550-WINS TRIBUTE
     The Baylor players took it upon themselves to congratulate Kim Mulkey in a pre-game presentation Wednesday for her 550^th career victory achieved Sunday at Texas Tech. Senior Kalani Brown took the PA microphone and addressed the crowd an Mulkey prior to the K-State game Jan. 9, and the Lady Bears chipped in their own money for three easels of roses shaped in the numbers 5-5-0. Mulkey was told postgame that the players paid for the flowers and later in the postgame press conference said "My players bought those 550-numbered roses. [Out of their pocket] Wow. That's the kind of kids I get to coach. I didn't know that until the game was over, and I thought wow, my players are buying that."

ABOUT BAYLOR'S HISTORIC WIN OVER NO. 1 UCONN
   Two elite programs met in Waco Jan. 3, and for the first time in school history (previously 0-14) the Baylor Lady Bears knocked off a No. 1-ranked team with UConn falling 68-57 at a sold-out Ferrell Center on ESPN. Not only did Baylor win the game, the Lady Bears put an end to a long line of streaks set by the Huskies, who are the standard for women's basketball with 11 NCAA Championships. Baylor's victory ended a streak of 126 consecutive regular season games for the Huskies and a streak of 55 consecutive regular season road wins. UConn had won 209 straight games in regulation; it's last loss in regulation also came to No. 1 Baylor Dec. 18, 2011.
   The Lady Bears' 11-point win was the largest margin of victory for a team vs. UConn since Feb. 27, 2012 when UConn fell to Notre Dame 72-59. In addition, Baylor's defense held UConn to just a 29.4 shooting percentage, its lowest in any game the past 20 seasons.
   Baylor became the third Big 12 school to ever defeat a No. 1 team joining Texas Tech who accomplished the feat twice and Texas, and just the second time that a Big 12 team has beaten a No. 1 in a non-conference matchup.
   BU's big win kept an overall home win streak at the Ferrell Center alive at 28 games while extending its non-conference home win streak to 47 games.

BROWN PICKS UP ESPNW NATIONAL HONOR AFTER LEADING BAYLOR TO WIN OVER NO. 1 UCONN
   Kalani Brown didn't shy away from the spotlight when the lights came on Jan. 3 vs. No. 1 UConn. In front of a sold-out crowd at the Ferrell Center and nationally televised on ESPN, the senior post put up 22 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. She was 11-for-17 from the floor in 36 minutes of play. Her games that week also included performances vs. UTRGV and at Texas Tech, but ESPNW.com singled out her performance against the No. 1 Huskies and tabbed her National Player of the Week on Jan. 7.

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 13 games averaging 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, which ranks second on the team in both categories while picking up the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Week award Nov 12.

CAPPING ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
   The Lady Bears completed another successful, tough, non-conference schedule. Baylor went 10-1 with a 3-1 record vs. Top 25 teams, including the program's first-ever win over a No. 1 team when the Lady Bears beat UConn Jan. 3.