7/5 BAYLOR BEARS (27-6) Location: Waco,Texas  Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Nicki Collen (Marquette, 1998) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)	BAYLOR (27-6 vs. HAWAII (20-9) March 18, 2022 • 3 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Ferrell Center LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN2 Talent: Elise Woodward (pxp) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst) LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas, BaylorBears.com  Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Sophia Young-Malcolm (Analyst) Baylor Social Media:
	HAWAII RAINBOW WAHINE (20-9) Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Conference/Affiliation: Big West Head Coach: Laura Beeman (Cal St. B'dino, 1992) Roster | Stats (PDF) | Game Notes (PDF)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Two weeks after being celebrated on Baylor's Senior Day, NaLyssa Smith, Queen Egbo and Jordan Lewis get to do it all over again when the second-seeded Bears (27-6) host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in the friendly confines of the Ferrell Center. 
            Seventh-seeded Ole Miss (23-8) plays 10^th-seeded Summit League champion South Dakota (27-5) at 12:30 p.m. Friday, followed by Baylor versus 15^th-seeded Big West champion Hawaii (20-9) at 3 p.m. 
            "It's always a great feeling, starting our (postseason) at home," said senior All-American NaLyssa Smith, who's averaging 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. "Having our home crowd with us, having the fans behind us . . . being used to the rims and the court. It helps us tremendously."
            Baylor is hosting the first and second round for the 10^th time, winning 17 of 18 games on its home floor. And the last time the Bears started an NCAA Tournament at home, they went on to win the national championship in 2019 when Smith, Egbo and Caitlin Bickle were freshmen. 
            "I'm just hoping and challenging the Waco community that they come out and support this team (Friday) and hopefully again on Sunday," first-year Baylor head coach Nicki Collen said. "I saw Iowa's site is already sold out, so we've got a little showdown here in Texas that we can do the same thing at the Ferrell Center and take advantage."
            Other than the NCAA controlling the practice schedule, Baylor's had a "normal routine," Collen said. The Bears are 14-1 at home this season and 66-3 during the four-year careers of Smith, Egbo and Bickle. 
            "Obviously, we're in survive-and-advance mode. We're in a new season with the goal to win six games, one at a time," Collen said. "But, as far as preparation, we're lucky to be at home. We're lucky to have a fairly normal routine. It's felt normal, it's felt like we've been in our routine. Our players are in class. And that's comforting, the class part."
            Other than being 3,774 miles and five time zones away, this should also feel familiar for the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine. Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center arena was built six years later by the same company that did the Ferrell Center, and the capacities are almost identical – 10,385 for the Ferrell Center; 10,300 for the Stan Sheriff Center.
            "The fact that this arena is very similar to the Stan Sheriff was something I thought the girls got a kick out of," Hawaii coach Laura Beeman said. "I'm excited to go inside and see exactly how close it is. But overall, we're just really excited to be here."
            While Baylor is in the NCAA Tournament for the 20^th time in the last 21 tournaments, this is Hawaii's seventh appearance and first since 2016. Taking advantage of the extra COVID year, Big West Player of the Year Amy Atwell (17.4 ppg, 6.7 rebounds) is going to the tournament for the first time in her sixth year on the island. 
            "I think every kid dreams of being here," said Atwell, a 6-0 forward from Perth, Australia. "Ever since I got here six years ago, this has been the goal, and we're in a great position right now."
            Of course, there is the daunting task of playing the No. 2 seed and three-time national champions on their home floor. While Saint Peter's became the 10^th No. 15 seed to win on the men's side with its 85-79 overtime win over second-seeded Kentucky on Thursday, the 15 seeds are still 0-fer ever in the women's bracket. 
            "Baylor's a monster," Beeman said. "They are No. 2 for a reason, potentially could have been a No. 1. I don't want to say there's no pressure on us, because there's always pressure to perform. But, I think it's more nervousness (than pressure), we're not expected to win. We are expected to play Hawaii basketball. I don't care what stage we're on, these girls are going to be held to that standard."
            Smith is a two-time All-American and reigning Wade Trophy winner and heads a cast that includes Lewis (11.7 ppg, 5.3 assists) as Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and Egbo (10.9 ppg, 8.3 rebounds) as a potential first-round WNBA draft pick. 
            Sophomore guard Sarah Andrews is averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 assists, while Oklahoma State transfer Ja'Mee Asberry averages 9.8 points and has knocked down 77 3-pointers this season. 
            "They're loaded, across the board," Beeman said. "They've got great guard play, they've got great post play. They play at a very high pace, they put a lot of points on the board (77.0 per game). They have at least two draft picks, maybe three, and possibly the No. 1 draft pick for the WNBA (Smith). You don't play against that all the time.
            "We have the utmost respect for this program. What this coach (Collen) has done in her first year is pretty amazing. . . . This is what you play basketball for when you're a student-athlete is to come to the Big Dance. And to do it at a place like Baylor, where there's such a rich tradition of excellence on both the men's and women's side, is really fun for our players."
            Atwell and 5-10 freshman guard Daejah Phillips (10.3 ppg, 5.1 rebounds) are the Rainbow Wahine's only double-figure scorers. But, one thing Hawaii does have is depth. While Baylor uses primarily a seven-player rotation, with Bickle and sophomore guard Jaden Owens coming off the bench, Beeman has 11 players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. 
            "This is kind of what we've been preparing for all year," Atwell said. "Obviously, (Baylor is) an extremely good team, and it's going to take a team effort. But, I think we've shown, especially in our preseason games against better opponents, that when we are playing our best basketball, we can play and stick with the best teams in the country. It just depends on our game and how we show up."
            Friday's two first-round winners advance to a Round of 32 matchup on Sunday, with a spot in the Sweet 16 in Wichita, Kan., on the line. Along with Collen, who made five NCAA Tournament appearances as an assistant coach, transfers Lewis and Asberry have never made it past the second round. 
            "Going into this game, obviously being a 2 seed, it's easy to overlook the first two rounds," said Lewis, a second-team All-SEC pick last year at Alabama, when she averaged 17.0 points and 4.2 assists. "But, I think it's important for us to take it as it if it's a Final Four tomorrow, because you never when your opportunity is over. So, I think just making sure we're focused from the start."
            Friday's game will be broadcast by ESPN2, with Elise Woodward and Andrea Lloyd calling the action. 
 

NCAA FIRST ROUND NOTABLES
• Baylor is 18-1 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Since dropping its first first-round contest in 2001, the Bears have strung together 18-straight dubs in the opening round of NCAA play.
• BU is hosting the first and second rounds for the 10th time in program history. Baylor hosted from 2013-19 with the streak ending a season ago due to the entire tournament being held in San Antonio because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• While Baylor is 2-1 all-time against Hawaii, the two teams have never faced off in the NCAA Tournament.
• Hawaii, led by Big West Player of the Year Amy Atwell, is playing in its first NCAA Tournament since 2016.
• Of note, the Ferrell Center and Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center are as close to being twins as basketball arenas can be. The same company built Hawaii's arena six years after the completion of the Ferrell Center. 

NCAA NOTABLES
• Baylor was named a No. 2 seed, marking the 11th-straight year that BU is at least a two seed or higher.
• The Bears are making their 18th-straight NCAA appearance, a streak that ranks 13th all-time and is the fifth-longest active streak.
• Baylor has advanced to 20 NCAA Tournaments all-time.
• Baylor is 53-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Baylor earned trips to the Final Four in 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2019. BU won the NCAA titles in 2005, 2012 and 2019.
• Baylor's win percentage in the NCAA Tournament at 76.8 (53-16) is third-best all-time next to UConn (85.5, 124-21) and Tennessee (80.3, 126-31).
• Baylor is 10-5 all-time in Sweet 16 contests.
• Baylor is 4-6 all-time in Elite Eight contests.
• Baylor's 53 wins in the NCAA Tournament is eighth-most all-time.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP NOTABLES
• Baylor advanced to its 11th-straight Big 12 Championship title game. Nicki Collen became the first first-year head coach to advance to the title game since 1997.
• NaLyssa Smith, named to the all-tournament team, went off for a career-best 37 points in the semifinal win over Oklahoma. That mark is good for second in Big 12 championship semifinal history.
• Caitlin Bickle also had a career day against Oklahoma with 21 points.
• Baylor's 91 points against the Sooners tied for fourth-most all-time in a Big 12 semifinal contest.
• Baylor set a Big 12 Championship record with two turnovers. That mark also tied a program record that was set on Feb. 1, 2014, against Texas.
• Baylor set a program record, a Big 12 Championship record and tied an NCAA record when it held Oklahoma State scoreless in the first quarter of the Big 12 quarterfinal vs. Oklahoma State.
• Overall, BU held Oklahoma State to 36 points, a Big 12 Championship record and won by 40 points, which stands for second in league tournament win margin.

QUICK HITS
• Baylor clinched a share of the regular-season Big 12 title with a 25-point win at then-No. 8 Iowa State in front of a record crowd at Hilton Coliseum.
• BU's streak of 12 regular-season titles is the longest active streak in the country in men's AND women's hoops.
• The streak ties for fourth all-time in WBB history behind Green Bay (20, 1999-18); Louisiana Tech (15, 2003-17); Stanford (14, 2001-14) and Old Dominion (12, 1993-04).
• Baylor became the first school since Texas Tech in 2000 to start league play 0-2 and end up winning the conference title.
• Baylor racked up conference honors as every member of the starting five received recognition. Smith was the unanimous pick for Player of the Year, receiving the honor in back-to-back seasons. Jordan Lewis became the fourth-straight Bear to pick up Newcomer of the Year. Smith and Lewis were each named to the All-Big 12 First Team. Sarah Andrews received Second Team honors, while Asberry and Queen Egbo were named Honorable Mention.
• Smith has already been named a first-team All-American by three different entities this season - Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and the Associated Press.
• Smith is third in the country with 24 double-doubles. That mark sets a program record for double-doubles in a single season. She's third in BU history with 52 career double-doubles.
• The senior is top-10 nationally with 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
• Smith reached the 2,000 career point / 1,000 career rebound mark this season.
• Baylor has now set a program record for 3s made (221) and 3s attempted (631) in a single season.
• From 2013-14 to 2020-21, Baylor made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game only five times across a total of 281 games (1.78 percent). BU has done so five times this season. 
• At Kansas, Baylor nearly set a record with a 14-for-29 display from the perimeter. BU's 14 treys marked the second most in
• Ja'Mee Asberry is second in program history with 77 3s made this season.