Sunday, April 7
Tampa, Fla.
5:00 p.m. CT
Baylor
vs
Notre Dame
WBB's Quest For Third Title Comes vs. Notre Dame Sunday
4/6/2019 6:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lady Bears look for third NCAA National Championship
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#1/1 BAYLOR LADY BEARS (36-1) Location: Waco, Texas Conference: Big 12 Head Coach: Kim Mulkey (La. Tech, 1984) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
#1/1 BAYLOR (36-1) vs. #3/3 NOTRE DAME (35-3) April 7, 2019 • 5 p.m. (CT) Tampa, Fla. • Amalie Arena (20,500)  LIVE STATS: Live StatsWATCH: Watch ESPN Talent: Adam Amin (PBP), Rebecca Lobo (Color), Cara Lawson (Color), Holly Rowe (Sideline) LISTEN: BaylorBears.com/1660 AM/92.9 FM Talent: Bruce Gietzen (PBP), Maggie Davis-Stinnett (Color) Baylor Social Media:    Channel Lineup: DISH: 140 DIRECTV: 206 UVERSE: 602 GRANDE: 24 |
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3/3 NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (35-3) Location: Notre Dame, Ind. Conference: ACC Head Coach: Muffet McGraw (St. Joseph's, 1977) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
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Baylor Postseason Media Guide
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
TAMPA, Fla. – Fourteen years ago, on the brink of the Baylor Lady Bears' first national championship, coach Kim Mulkey said, "Why not us?"
Poised to win the program's third national title, 6-7 senior All-American Kalani Brown shared a similar sentiment going into Sunday's 5 p.m. CDT national championship game between the Lady Bears (36-1) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (35-3).
"We've got one more, we've come this far, why not finish it? Why not?" said Brown, who's averaging 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds and shooting 61.3 percent from the floor.
In a repeat of the 2012 final that Baylor won 80-61 in Denver, Mulkey and Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw are both going for their third championship. That would move one of them up a notch and only behind UConn's Geno Auriemma (11) and Tennessee's Pat Summitt (8).
Notre Dame is the defending champion and in the final for the sixth time in the last nine years, but the Irish lost to Texas A&M and Baylor in 2011 and 2012 and then UConn in 2014 and '15.
"In '05, when we won the first national championship, it was the first time Baylor had been to a Final Four. I sat at that press conference and said, 'Enjoy it. I don't know if we'll ever be back.' It's just so hard," said Mulkey, who has made 11 Final Four appearances as a player, assistant or head coach.
"We knew we were creating a monster, and we had to keep feeding that monster. . . . Coaches coach a lifetime and never make it. I just don't tend to put a timeframe on it. I just want to always be one of the teams talked about that has a chance to be there every year. I think we always have been that type of program."
To "feed the monster" and win another national championship, the Lady Bears will have to find a way to either keep up with or slow down an explosive Notre Dame offense that is No. 1 in the country in scoring (89.1) and second in field goal percentage (51.2).
In Friday's 81-76 win over UConn, Notre Dame's starting five scored every point. All-American guard Arike Ogunbowale (21.5 ppg) leads the way, followed by 6-4 forward Jessica Sheppard (16.8 ppg, 10.3 rebounds), junior guard Jackie Young (15.0 ppg, 7.4 rebounds), 6-3 forward Brianna Turner (14.4 ppg, 7.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks) and guard Marina Mabrey (12.5 ppg, 5.0 assists).
Auriemma said there are "things that Notre Dame does that we don't have an answer for. I've had those kinds of teams a couple times."
"They have bigs inside. They shoot the 3-ball – not like Oregon – but they will shoot the 3-ball. They're athletic. I guess just the fact that they can score at all positions," Mulkey said.
On the flip side, though, Notre Dame hasn't gone against the best defense in the country. Baylor leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (31.6), blocked shots (7.2) and defensive rebounds per game (32.6) and ranks first among Power 5 teams in scoring defense at 54.6 points per game.
Baylor has a distinct size advantage inside with Brown and 6-4 junior forward Lauren Cox (13.2 ppg, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) going against Sheppard and Turner.
"This is the first time we've played a team that has two outstanding post players," McGraw said. "We've generally thought we had an abnormal advantage in the post. That would be our game plan, to go inside. We do not feel that way. They have terrific players inside with Lauren Cox and Kalani. Defensively, they're really kind of an intimidating presence inside."
McGraw said her backcourt needs to "come out and play well" against Baylor's trio of senior Chloe Jackson (11.3 ppg, 5.4 assists), junior Juicy Landrum (11.2 ppg, 3.7 assists) and sophomore DiDi Richards (7.2 ppg, 4.0 assists).
Going against the Wade Trophy National Player of the Year in Friday's semifinal, Richards held Sabrina Ionescu to 18 points on 6-of-24 shooting from the field in the Lady Bears' 72-67 win. In the fourth quarter, Ionescu was 0-for-7 and didn't score.
"They're guard-dominant, really," Jackson said. "They have some good post players, but Arike can really take over the game at any point. We just have to defend her, she's a good player. Sabrina is a great guard, so I think playing Oregon last night definitely prepared us for what we're about to face."
Baylor, of course, is no slouch on the offensive end. The Lady Bears are one of just four teams to shoot better than 50 percent this season (50.4) and rank seventh nationally with 81.9 points per game. And like the Fighting Irish, they spread the wealth.
"We're playing so good together," said Brown, who had a game-high 22 points in Friday's game, hitting 9-of-12 from the floor. "This is the most unselfish team I've ever played on. Anybody can go off on any given night, but no one gets upset. DiDi came out with 25 points (against South Carolina); Lauren with a double-double; or Chloe. We have so many weapons, and we're just all for each other. When everyone's scoring, you're happy for each other, you're winning. And I think that's why we've come so far."
And since they've come this far, why not win it all?
"It's been seven years since Baylor won their last one," said Landrum, who led nearby La Vega High School to the Class 3A state championship as a sophomore in 2014. "It would be great to bring it back to La Vega and bring it back to Waco and our community."
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Baylor is 49-15 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, all coming under head coach Kim MulkeyBaylor Bear Insider
TAMPA, Fla. – Fourteen years ago, on the brink of the Baylor Lady Bears' first national championship, coach Kim Mulkey said, "Why not us?"
Poised to win the program's third national title, 6-7 senior All-American Kalani Brown shared a similar sentiment going into Sunday's 5 p.m. CDT national championship game between the Lady Bears (36-1) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (35-3).
"We've got one more, we've come this far, why not finish it? Why not?" said Brown, who's averaging 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds and shooting 61.3 percent from the floor.
In a repeat of the 2012 final that Baylor won 80-61 in Denver, Mulkey and Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw are both going for their third championship. That would move one of them up a notch and only behind UConn's Geno Auriemma (11) and Tennessee's Pat Summitt (8).
Notre Dame is the defending champion and in the final for the sixth time in the last nine years, but the Irish lost to Texas A&M and Baylor in 2011 and 2012 and then UConn in 2014 and '15.
"In '05, when we won the first national championship, it was the first time Baylor had been to a Final Four. I sat at that press conference and said, 'Enjoy it. I don't know if we'll ever be back.' It's just so hard," said Mulkey, who has made 11 Final Four appearances as a player, assistant or head coach.
"We knew we were creating a monster, and we had to keep feeding that monster. . . . Coaches coach a lifetime and never make it. I just don't tend to put a timeframe on it. I just want to always be one of the teams talked about that has a chance to be there every year. I think we always have been that type of program."
To "feed the monster" and win another national championship, the Lady Bears will have to find a way to either keep up with or slow down an explosive Notre Dame offense that is No. 1 in the country in scoring (89.1) and second in field goal percentage (51.2).
In Friday's 81-76 win over UConn, Notre Dame's starting five scored every point. All-American guard Arike Ogunbowale (21.5 ppg) leads the way, followed by 6-4 forward Jessica Sheppard (16.8 ppg, 10.3 rebounds), junior guard Jackie Young (15.0 ppg, 7.4 rebounds), 6-3 forward Brianna Turner (14.4 ppg, 7.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks) and guard Marina Mabrey (12.5 ppg, 5.0 assists).
Auriemma said there are "things that Notre Dame does that we don't have an answer for. I've had those kinds of teams a couple times."
"They have bigs inside. They shoot the 3-ball – not like Oregon – but they will shoot the 3-ball. They're athletic. I guess just the fact that they can score at all positions," Mulkey said.
On the flip side, though, Notre Dame hasn't gone against the best defense in the country. Baylor leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (31.6), blocked shots (7.2) and defensive rebounds per game (32.6) and ranks first among Power 5 teams in scoring defense at 54.6 points per game.
Baylor has a distinct size advantage inside with Brown and 6-4 junior forward Lauren Cox (13.2 ppg, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) going against Sheppard and Turner.
"This is the first time we've played a team that has two outstanding post players," McGraw said. "We've generally thought we had an abnormal advantage in the post. That would be our game plan, to go inside. We do not feel that way. They have terrific players inside with Lauren Cox and Kalani. Defensively, they're really kind of an intimidating presence inside."
McGraw said her backcourt needs to "come out and play well" against Baylor's trio of senior Chloe Jackson (11.3 ppg, 5.4 assists), junior Juicy Landrum (11.2 ppg, 3.7 assists) and sophomore DiDi Richards (7.2 ppg, 4.0 assists).
Going against the Wade Trophy National Player of the Year in Friday's semifinal, Richards held Sabrina Ionescu to 18 points on 6-of-24 shooting from the field in the Lady Bears' 72-67 win. In the fourth quarter, Ionescu was 0-for-7 and didn't score.
"They're guard-dominant, really," Jackson said. "They have some good post players, but Arike can really take over the game at any point. We just have to defend her, she's a good player. Sabrina is a great guard, so I think playing Oregon last night definitely prepared us for what we're about to face."
Baylor, of course, is no slouch on the offensive end. The Lady Bears are one of just four teams to shoot better than 50 percent this season (50.4) and rank seventh nationally with 81.9 points per game. And like the Fighting Irish, they spread the wealth.
"We're playing so good together," said Brown, who had a game-high 22 points in Friday's game, hitting 9-of-12 from the floor. "This is the most unselfish team I've ever played on. Anybody can go off on any given night, but no one gets upset. DiDi came out with 25 points (against South Carolina); Lauren with a double-double; or Chloe. We have so many weapons, and we're just all for each other. When everyone's scoring, you're happy for each other, you're winning. And I think that's why we've come so far."
And since they've come this far, why not win it all?
"It's been seven years since Baylor won their last one," said Landrum, who led nearby La Vega High School to the Class 3A state championship as a sophomore in 2014. "It would be great to bring it back to La Vega and bring it back to Waco and our community."
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Mulkey has guided the Lady Bears to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and 16-straight
• Baylor is the No. 1 overall seed, and it marks the sixth time in program history that Baylor is a No. 1 seed
• Baylor advanced to its fourth Final Four with a win over Iowa Monday in the Elite 8 joining the 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2011-12 teams. Baylor won the title in both 2005 and 2012.
• Baylor will play in its third national title game after defeating Michigan State in 2005 and Notre Dame in 2012.
• Baylor's win percentage in the NCAA Tournament at 76.6 (49-15) is third-best all-time next to UConn (85.8, 121-20) and
Tennessee (81.2, 125-29)
• Baylor's string of 16-straight NCAA Tournament appearances ranks sixth-best among active streaks in the NCAA
• Baylor's 49 wins in the NCAA Tournament is tied for 8th most all-time.
• Baylor is 5-1 all-time in NCAA Final Four games
• Baylor won its fourth Elite 8 game April 1 in nine appearances.
• Baylor won its 9th Sweet 16 game March 30 in 14 appearances.
• Baylor is the third team to win each of its games by 25+ points en route to the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994, joining the 2010 and 2013 UConn teams (both won national titles).
• Baylor's 32-point victory over Iowa was the program's largest spread in its four Elite 8 wins.
• Baylor's 54 rebounds vs. South Carolina was most by a BU program in the Sweet 16 or beyond.
• Baylor's 26-point lead at half was the largest lead at half in any BU game in the Sweet 16 or beyond.
• Baylor set program bests for rebounds (61), 3-point field goal percentage (69.2, 9-13), offensive rebounds (24) and tied a mark for team 3-pointers made with nine in Saturday's win over Abilene Christian in the first round.
• Baylor's 102 points vs. California in the Round of 32 was the most by a BU team in the NCAA Second Round or beyond, and the second-most all-time in an NCAA Tournament game for the Lady Bears.
• Three of four of Baylor's point totals in the NCAA Tournament (102, 95, 93) rank in the top 6 of Baylor's best scores in the postseason
Baylor's 12 steals vs. Iowa were fourth best by a BU team in the NCAA postseason and DiDi Richards' six steals were second-best among BU performances in the postseason.
• Baylor's 22.4 rebounding margin through five games in the tournament ranks tops all-time among BU's postseasons
• Kalani Brown's 15.1 points and Cox's 14.4 points per game rank 5th and tied for 6th, respectively among BU players in the NCAA Tournament
• Brown's 242 points rank fifth all-time on the BU career list in the NCAA Tournament
• Brown has 131 career rebounds in the tournament, second all-time among BU players in the NCAA Tournament next to Brittney Griner's 170 (2009-13)
• Brown is Baylor's NCAA Tournament all-time leader in offensive boards with 49.
• Brown and Cox rank second and third, respectively all-time in career blocked shots in the NCAA Tournament with 42 & 26.
• Lauren Cox has 173 career points in the NCAA Tournament ranking sixth among BU players all-time in the NCAA Tournament
• Cox's 100 rebounds rank sixth all-time on the BU career list in the NCAA Tournament
• DiDi Richards' .611 career field goal percentage in the tournament ranks best among BU players all-time with at least 25 field goals made.
• Richards' 2.1 steals per game ranks third all-time among BU players in the NCAA Tournament and she's tied for 6th all-time with 16.
LADY BEARS RETURN TO TITLE GAME FOR THIRD TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Baylor's 72-67 win over Oregon Friday night propelled the Lady Bears to their third national title game where BU will try to improve to 3-0 all-time with national championships in 2005 (vs. Michigan State) and 2012 (vs. Notre Dame). Baylor's Lauren Cox scored 21 points and led Baylor with 11 rebounds, 7 assists and two blocks. Kalani Brown added a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds, and the Lady Bears improved to 5-1 all-time in the Final Four.
Baylor is 4-2 all-time vs. Notre Dame with all six meetings taking place since the 2010-11 season. The Fighting Irish have taken the last two matchups, including in a 2015 Elite 8 game that sent UND to the Final Four.
MULKEY NAMED AP, USBWA & WBCA NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Kim Mulkey earned her sixth, seventh and eighth career National Coach of the Year Awards with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the Associated Press each honoring her for the second time in her career while the USBWA gave her the honor for the third time.
Mulkey has the Lady Bears on the nation's longest winning streak at 27 games and at 35-1 in 2018-19, she continues to blaze one of the most dominant trails in women's college basketball since the 2010-11 season. Baylor's .933 winning percentage (310-23) in that span is second only to UConn. Mulkey coached the Lady Bears to their 10th regular season and 10th Big 12 Tournament championship this season.
Baylor is 10-1 thus far vs. the AP Top 25 in 2018-19, including a key win over No. 1 UConn Jan. 3. Mulkey and the Lady Bears took over the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll Jan. 28 and have remained there since. The USBWA also tabbed Mulkey as Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012, the Associated Press recognized Mulkey as Coach of the Year in 2012 as did the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Mulkey is also one of the four finalists for the 2019 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year Award named March 22 along with Iowa's Lisa Bluder, NC State's Wes Moore and Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer.
BAYLOR LADY BEARS TAKE HOME BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS NO. 19 AND NO. 20
Kim Mulkey arrived as head coach of the Lady Bears in 2000-01, and in her 19 seasons she has claim to 20 Big 12 Championships. The Lady Bears ran the table for the fourth time in school history with an 18-0 record to claim their 10th regular season championship and rolled through the Big 12 Championship tournament in Oklahoma City March 9-11 to capture their 10th tournament title.
BROWN & COX RACKING IN ALL-AMERICA NODS
Kalani Brown entered the 2018-19 season with eight different all-America honors to her credit; two from her sophomore season and six last year. She's added four this season with the WBCA honoring her for the third-straight year as an All-American while espnW.com, the Associated Press and the USBWA all giving her second-team recognition. Lauren Cox was a third-team selection as well for the AP and USBWA giving her four career all-America selections.
Brown's WBCA selection made her just the second Lady Bear to be a three-time All-American by the WBCA, joining Brittney Griner.
LADY BEARS RACK UP BIG 12 POSTSEASON HONORS
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for the seventh time, Lauren Cox earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second-straight season and Kalani Brown along with Cox were named All-Big 12 First Team members, the league announced Wednesday. In addition, Baylor landed guards Chloe Jackson and Juicy Landrum on the All-Big 12 Second Team while setting a record by landing three players from the same school on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team with DiDi Richards joining Cox and Brown. Brown's nod to the first team was her third, while Cox earned first-team honors for the second time.
LADY BEARS ARE NO. 1 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2013, BUT BAYLOR HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE
Much was made when Baylor returned as No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 Jan. 28. However, Baylor has ranked in the top 10 in the AP poll for 91 consecutive weeks with high-rankings of two with the lowest being 13 since the 2013-14 season prior to regaining the top spot. Those 91-straight weeks mark the third-longest active streak in the nation next to UConn and Notre Dame. In fact, Baylor holds the second-longest active streak of ranking in the AP Top 25 at 298 weeks.
INTERIOR DEFENSE DOMINANT
While some may look at the fact that Baylor has surrendered 266 3-point field goals this season (most by a Big 12 school) as a negative, take into account that only 848 of 2,034 points given up by Baylor this season have come on two-point field goals. That' s just 424 two-pointers in 37 games, which averages 11.5 2-point field goals per game or 23.0 points per game given up inside the 3-point arc this season.
POUND THE PAINT, CLEAN THE GLASS, D-UP: LADY BEARS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN REBOUNDING, SCORING EFFICIENCY, DEFENSE
In 15 statistical categories, the Lady Bears rank in the top 10 nationally. But, the Lady Bears (thru games April 5) rank tops in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (33.0), rebound margin (+17.6) and field goal percentage defense (.314) while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (.504). Kalani Brown ranks 8th in the nation in field goal percentage at a .613 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 2.54 per contest. Baylor's rebounding is a staple of the program, and the Lady Bears have out-rebounded its opponents in 36 of 37 games this season, Baylor won the rebounding battle in 34 of 35 contests last year, and in 104 of the last 108 contests, BU has had the upper hand on the boards. Baylor outscores its opponents in the paint by an average of 46.3 to 16.5 through 37 games this season.
LADY BEARS ON THE RUN
Baylor has 37 runs this season of at least 10 unanswered points including at least one in 12 of the 18 Big 12 regular-season contests. In 24 of 37 games this season, the Lady Bears have had at least one such run, and Baylor has also put together six runs of 20 or more points. In addition, Baylor is dominating opponents in transition, out-scoring opponents 406-103 on the fast break this season.
SHARING IS CARING: BAYLOR LEADS NATION IN ASSISTS PER GAME
Baylor's 22.4 assists per contest ranks best in the nation (thru April 5) while the Lady Bears rank second in assists-to-turnover ratio at 1.72:1. Chloe Jackson's 5.4 assists per contest (ranks 29th nationally) and 2.48:1 assists-to-turnover ratio (ranks 25th nationally) lead Baylor. DiDi Richards is averaging 4.0 assists per contest while ranking 27th nationally in assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.44:1 and post Lauren Cox ranks 21st in that category at 2.55:1. Juicy Landrum also ranks fourth in the Big 12 in assists-to-turnover ratio while third on the team at 3.9 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 1,204 made field goals this season, the Lady Bears have assisted on 819 marking 68.0 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 219-1, and the Lady Bears are 36-0 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.
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. CONTINUED
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.
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