Baylor
Texas
No. 1/1 WBB Heads to No. 12/14 Texas Monday for ESPN2 Matchup
2/3/2019 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lady Bears looking for 32nd consecutive road win vs. a Big 12 team in the regular season
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#1/1 BAYLOR LADY BEARS (19-1, 9-0) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Kim Mulkey (La. Tech, 1984) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
#1/1 BAYLOR (19-1, 9-0) at 12/14 TEXAS (18-4, 8-2) Feb. 4, 2019 • 6 p.m. Austin, Texas • Frank Erwin Center (16,540) LIVE STATS: SIDEARM Stats  WATCH: ESPN2 / WatchESPNTalent: Beth Mowins (PBP), Deb Antonelli (Color) LISTEN: BaylorBears.com/1660 AM/92.3 FM Talent: Bruce Gietzen (PBP), Maggie Davis-Stinnett (Color) Baylor Social Media:    Channel Lineup: DISH: 143 DIRECTV: 209 UVERSE: 606/1606 GRANDE: 34 |
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12/14 TEXAS LONGHORNS (18-4, 8-2) Location: Austin, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Karen Aston (Arkansas-Little Rock, 1987) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
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LADY BEARS HAVE RECORD-BREAKING WIN VS. TEXAS TECH
Baylor's 59-point victory over the Lady Raiders Saturday broke a 13-year old record for margin of victory over a Big 12 opponent Saturday as the Lady Bears cruised to a 96-37 victory over Texas Tech. Baylor's previous record was a 50-point win (90-40) over Kansas, Jan. 28, 2006. Baylor's 34-point explosion in the third quarter was also a school record for most points in a quarter in league play. The Lady Bears shot 68.3 percent from the floor (third-best game pct. all-time) and five players reached double figures as Baylor improved to 19-1 and 9-0 in the Big 12. The game marked the first time that Baylor had played in front of its home crowd since earning the No. 1 ranking Jan. 28 and the Lady Bears pleased their second-largest crowd of the season (6,432) by winning their 32nd-straight home game, and 32nd-straight regular season win over a Big 12 opponent.
IT'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP: BAYLOR RETURNS TO NO. 1 RANKING FOR FIRST TIME SINCE MARCH OF 2013
For the first time since the March 18, 2013 poll, the Associated Press Top 25 has placed the Baylor Lady Bears as the No. 1 team in the nation. Baylor's 19-1 overall record, 9-0 mark in the Big 12 and four wins over Top 25 opponents have played a role in the nation's highest ranking.
Jan 28's poll marks the 40th time that Baylor has ranked at No. 1 in the weekly poll. The Lady Bears spent seven weeks in the top spot from January to mid-February in 2011, spent 21-straight weeks as the favorite from Oct. 29, 2011-Nov. 12, 2012 and ranked No. 1 the last 11 weeks of the 2012-13 season. Baylor's 21-week streak was the eighth-longest streak of all-time.
TEXAS IN SHORT; SERIES NOTES
Texas, an NCAA Sweet 16 team a year ago, is back with another strong start to the season at 18-4 overall and the Longhorns are second place in the Big 12 standings with an 8-2 mark. Texas ranks No. 12 in the AP as of Jan. 28 and will enter Monday night's contest ranked No. 14 by the ESPN/WBCA poll. Texas is 1-2 vs. the Top 25 this season with home losses to No. 6 Mississippi State (67-49, Dec. 2) and No. 9 Tennessee (88-82, Dec. 9) while defeating No. 20/22 Iowa State in Ames 64-62 Jan. 12.
Former Baylor assistant coach Karen Aston is in her seventh season as the Longhorns' head coach, and she carries a 160-66 (.708) record as UT's leader. Lashann Higgs led UT in scoring through four games (13.8 ppg) but was lost for the season due to injury. Since then, Sug Sutton leads the Longhorns at 12.5 points per contest, and Texas has four active players averaging double figures.
Texas holds the all-time series lead over Baylor 58-39, but since Kim Mulkey's arrival at Baylor, the Lady Bears are 30-11, including winners in 18 of the last 19 contests. Baylor last loss in Austin Jan. 31, 2010, 61-50, but the Lady Bears have taken the last eight decisions at the Frank Erwin Center.
TOUGH ON THE ROAD: LADY BEARS LOOK TO INCREASE ROAD WIN STREAK
Baylor's win at Oklahoma State Wednesday gave the Lady Bears 31-consecutive wins on the road vs. Big 12 teams in the regular season. That streak is a Big 12 record passing its previous mark of 22 from 2011-14. 31-consecutive wins on the road vs. conference opponents is the second-best active streak in the NCAA next to UConn's 47-game win streak in the American Athletic Conference and is tied for the third-best streak of all-time with Hampton (31, 2011-2015, MEAC).
BAYLOR'S RECORD VS. TOP 25 AWAY FROM WACO IMPRESSES
In games away from Waco that include true-road contests, Big 12 tournament and NCAA Tournament contests, Baylor is 83-53 in the Kim Mulkey era against ranked opponents while collecting a 51-14 record vs. the Top 25 away from the Ferrell Center since the 2010-11 season.
BALANCED EFFORT LEADING BAYLOR IN 2018-19
Despite having the No. 1 team in the country and in the Big 12, Baylor has taken home just one weekly Big 12 Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week award. Juicy Landrum and NaLyssa Smith earned those honors, respectively, sharing with another Big 12 player in each case. This result is partly due to the offensive balance that the Lady Bears have shown all season. Five players average in double figures for Baylor led by All-Americans Kalani Brown (15.4 ppg) and Lauren Cox's (12.2 ppg). The duo's numbers are down from a season ago, mostly due to the fact that freshmen posts Smith (10.2 ppg) and Queen Egbo (6.8 ppg) are able to spell the starters off the bench with offensive production. And, also guards Juicy Landrum and Chloe Jackson are each sharing the scoring load at 10.8 and 10.7 points per contest, respectively.
POUND THE PAINT, CLEAN THE GLASS, D-UP: LADY BEARS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN REBOUNDING, SCORING EFFICIENCY, DEFENSE
In 12 statistical categories, the Lady Bears rank in the top 10 nationally. But, the Lady Bears (thru games Feb. 2) rank tops in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (33.6), rebound margin (+17.5) and field goal percentage defense (.308) while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (.511). Kalani Brown ranks eighth in the nation in field goal percentage at a .620 clip. In addition to the nation's best defensive field goal percentage, the Lady Bears rank tops in the nation in blocked shots per game (7.2), led by Lauren Cox's 2.40 per contest. Baylor's rebounding is a staple of the program, and the Lady Bears have out-rebounded its opponents in all 20 games this season, Baylor won the rebounding battle in 34 of 35 contests last year, and in 89 of the last 92 contests, BU has had the upper hand on the boards.
LADY BEARS ON THE RUN
Baylor has 20 runs this season of at least 10 unanswered points including at least one in six of the first nine Big 12 contests. In 13 of 20 games this season, the Lady Bears have had at least one such run, and Baylor has also put together five runs of 20 or more points. In addition, Baylor is dominating opponents in transition, out-scoring opponents 230-54 on the fast break this season.
SHARING IS CARING: BAYLOR LEADS NATION IN ASSISTS PER GAME
Baylor's 23.5 assists per contest ranks best in the nation led by Chloe Jackson's 6.6 assists per contest (ranks 8th nationally) and 2.61:1 assists-to-turnover ratio (ranks 20th nationally). DiDi Richards is averaging 4.1 assists per contest while ranking 21st nationally in assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.61:1 and post Lauren Cox ranks 23rd in that category at 2.58:1.Juicy Landrum also ranks in the top 30 in assists-to-turnover ratio while second on the team at 4.1 assists per contest. As a team Baylor's ball distribution has been the hallmark of the offense in 2018-19. In fact out of Baylor's 658 made field goals this season, the Lady Bears have assisted on 470 marking 71.4 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 211-1, and the Lady Bears are 35-0 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 20 games this season. Through Feb. 2, Baylor ranks tops in the nation in assists per game (23.5) and is second in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.73:1).
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 8th in nation in assists per game (6.6 and 20th in assists-to-turnover ratio. (2.621:1). Landrum ranks 27th in that category at 2.44:1 while ranking second on the team with 78 assists (4.1 p/g), and DiDi Richards ranks 21st at a 2.61:1 and is third on the team in assists at 4.05 per contest. Add post player Lauren Cox's 2.58:1 assists-to-turnover ratio that ranks third in the Big 12 and 23rd in the nation, Baylor has done well for itself without a true one.
MULKEY NAMED AS CANDIDATE FOR NAISMITH MEMORIAL 2019 HALL OF FAME CLASS BOTH AS PLAYER AND COACH
For the third-straight year Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey was named as a candidate both as a coach and player for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Last season, she was named a finalist as a coach in February. The finalists will be announced in mid-February during the NBA All-Star break, and the 2019 class will be introduced at the 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four in Minneapolis, Minn.
Mulkey remains the only person to win an NCAA National Championship as a player, assistant and head coach and is one of three along with Dean Smith and Bobby Knight to win one as a player and head coach.
From the sideline, she's coached Baylor to 18 Big 12 championships with nine regular-season titles and nine Big 12 Championship crowns. Three times Baylor has made the NCAA Final Four, and she's led the green and gold to two national championships in 2005 and 2012.
As a player, Mulkey won the 1981 AIAW national championship and her Lady Techsters won the inaugural NCAA Women's Basketball title in 1982.
BROWN AND COX NAMED TO TWO MIDSEASON WATCH LISTS
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 and Jan. 25 the duo was named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Watch List. Last season, Brown was recognized as a top-five finalist for the Wooden Trophy 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 550th 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.
Jan. 24, Oliver was named a McDonald's All-American and will participate in the McDonald's All-American Games in March.
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.
