Sunday, February 18
Waco, Texas
3 PM
Baylor
vs
Texas Tech
No. 21 WBB Ready for Texas Tech, BG Jersey Retirement Sunday
2/17/2024 8:04:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Bears to retire Brittney Griner’s No. 42 jersey at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
On a day when Baylor women's basketball welcomes back the best player in program history, the 21st-ranked Bears (18-6, 7-6) will host the Texas Tech Lady Raiders (16-10, 5-8) at 3 p.m. Sunday at Foster Pavilion.
Four-time All-American and two-time National Player of the Year Brittney Griner will have her No. 42 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony that is scheduled to begin at 2:45 p.m.
"I just think BG was someone that everybody knew who she was, she was the most dominant player in women's college basketball at that time," Baylor coach Nicki Collen said. "We'd seen other dominant players, she was just different. No one had an answer for her. I think that's the reality. And how do you? It's hard to throw double teams at her that are just so much smaller than her."
The 6-foot-9 Griner finished her Baylor career (2009-13) with a Big 12-record 3,283 points, 1,305 rebounds and an NCAA-record 748 blocked shots. She was the centerpiece of a Baylor team that won the program's second national championship in 2012 and became the first NCAA Division I team – men's or women's – to finish 40-0.
Sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (11.1 ppg, 7.2 rebounds) said you "still feel all the feels from history" 11 years after Griner's collegiate career ended.
"I watched Brittney, especially growing up, being super tall. I definitely admired her game," Littlepage-Buggs said. "Coming to Baylor and seeing what all she's done is just amazing. And the fact that we get to present her and show everybody her and what she's done and how amazing she is, I'm excited."
A nine-time WNBA all-star who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013, Griner becomes the seventh Baylor player to have her jersey retired, joining Odyssey Sims (No. 0), Melissa Jones (No. 5), Nina Davis (No. 13), Suzie Snider Eppers (No. 23), Sheila Lambert (No. 31) and current assistant coach Sophia Young-Malcolm (No. 33).
"If you grow up loving this game, if you care about this game, you want to see the greats honored," Collen said. "What I've tried to tell (the players) is a big reason why they wanted to be at Baylor is because Brittney Griner . . . and Baylor having this national reputation and being a national championship contender and the kind of places that has the resources for them to follow their dreams.
"And I hope they feel, in some ways, really emotional about getting to be there for this, getting to see the ceremony, getting to be connected to (Griner) personally, and really all the ways that this game is great and where it can take you. It's such a unique platform."
Still alive for a top-four finish in the Big 12 and a bye to the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals, the Bears face a Texas Tech team that has struggled of late, losing four in a row. The latest NCAA tournament bracketology has Baylor as a No. 6 seed in the Portland Regional and traveling to Blacksburg, Va., for a potential first-round matchup against Texas A&M.
"We've got to find consistency," said Collen, whose team is coming off an 84-73 loss on the road at No. 23 Oklahoma. "We've got to find constancy at both ends. We've got to start better, and I mean that defensively and offensively. We can't dig ourselves holes. I don't think we did that against West Virginia. We didn't set the world on fire at either end in the first quarter, but we kind of played the game the way it unfolded."
Under fourth-year head coach Krista Gerlich, Tech is led by sophomore guards Jasmine Shavers (14.8 ppg, 5.2 rebounds) and Bailey Maupin (13.8 ppg, 3.6 assists) and Florida transfer Jordyn Merritt (8.3 ppg, 5.6 rebounds).
"Coach Gerlich does an amazing job of running really hard actions to guard," Collen said. "She puts people in motion, she knows who her shooters are. She screens for hitters, she gets you confused. They play really, really hard."
Sunday's game will be broadcast by ESPN2, with Brenda VanLengen and former Tech All-American Sheryl Swoopes calling the action.
WACO, Texas – The Baylor women's basketball team hosts Texas Tech at Foster Pavilion on Sunday to begin a two-game homestand.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. and airs nationally on ESPN2 with Brenda VanLengen and Sheryl Swoopes on the call. A live radio broadcast will be available on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM) and live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter and live stats.
Tickets are still available for as little as $20 on BaylorBears.com/tickets. Faculty, staff and students who did not purchase a ticket ahead of the game can walk up on Sunday and claim a ticket from the Pack the Pavilion ticket program.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the pregame ceremony unveiling Brittney Griner's No. 42 jersey in the Foster Pavilion rafters begins at approximately 2:45 p.m. Other promotions include a commemorative BG T-shirt giveaway that are on all seats in the arena, a limited amount of custom illustrated poster and sticker giveaways, photo opportunities with BG's Baylor jersey and a halftime student dunk challenge.
STARTING FIVE
Baylor leads the all-time series, 53-47, and are 23-20 at home against the Lady Raiders. The Bears have won the last 28 meetings between the two programs. Baylor has lost just one game to Texas Tech (Feb. 19, 2011) dating back to the 2006-07 season. Last season at home against Texas Tech, Caitlin Bickle led the way with 21 points while Darianna Littlepage-Buggs finished with 12 points and Bella Fontleroy turned in a team-high nine rebounds.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor women's basketball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorWBB.
Baylor Bear Insider
On a day when Baylor women's basketball welcomes back the best player in program history, the 21st-ranked Bears (18-6, 7-6) will host the Texas Tech Lady Raiders (16-10, 5-8) at 3 p.m. Sunday at Foster Pavilion.
Four-time All-American and two-time National Player of the Year Brittney Griner will have her No. 42 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony that is scheduled to begin at 2:45 p.m.
"I just think BG was someone that everybody knew who she was, she was the most dominant player in women's college basketball at that time," Baylor coach Nicki Collen said. "We'd seen other dominant players, she was just different. No one had an answer for her. I think that's the reality. And how do you? It's hard to throw double teams at her that are just so much smaller than her."
The 6-foot-9 Griner finished her Baylor career (2009-13) with a Big 12-record 3,283 points, 1,305 rebounds and an NCAA-record 748 blocked shots. She was the centerpiece of a Baylor team that won the program's second national championship in 2012 and became the first NCAA Division I team – men's or women's – to finish 40-0.
Sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (11.1 ppg, 7.2 rebounds) said you "still feel all the feels from history" 11 years after Griner's collegiate career ended.
"I watched Brittney, especially growing up, being super tall. I definitely admired her game," Littlepage-Buggs said. "Coming to Baylor and seeing what all she's done is just amazing. And the fact that we get to present her and show everybody her and what she's done and how amazing she is, I'm excited."
A nine-time WNBA all-star who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013, Griner becomes the seventh Baylor player to have her jersey retired, joining Odyssey Sims (No. 0), Melissa Jones (No. 5), Nina Davis (No. 13), Suzie Snider Eppers (No. 23), Sheila Lambert (No. 31) and current assistant coach Sophia Young-Malcolm (No. 33).
"If you grow up loving this game, if you care about this game, you want to see the greats honored," Collen said. "What I've tried to tell (the players) is a big reason why they wanted to be at Baylor is because Brittney Griner . . . and Baylor having this national reputation and being a national championship contender and the kind of places that has the resources for them to follow their dreams.
"And I hope they feel, in some ways, really emotional about getting to be there for this, getting to see the ceremony, getting to be connected to (Griner) personally, and really all the ways that this game is great and where it can take you. It's such a unique platform."
Still alive for a top-four finish in the Big 12 and a bye to the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals, the Bears face a Texas Tech team that has struggled of late, losing four in a row. The latest NCAA tournament bracketology has Baylor as a No. 6 seed in the Portland Regional and traveling to Blacksburg, Va., for a potential first-round matchup against Texas A&M.
"We've got to find consistency," said Collen, whose team is coming off an 84-73 loss on the road at No. 23 Oklahoma. "We've got to find constancy at both ends. We've got to start better, and I mean that defensively and offensively. We can't dig ourselves holes. I don't think we did that against West Virginia. We didn't set the world on fire at either end in the first quarter, but we kind of played the game the way it unfolded."
Under fourth-year head coach Krista Gerlich, Tech is led by sophomore guards Jasmine Shavers (14.8 ppg, 5.2 rebounds) and Bailey Maupin (13.8 ppg, 3.6 assists) and Florida transfer Jordyn Merritt (8.3 ppg, 5.6 rebounds).
"Coach Gerlich does an amazing job of running really hard actions to guard," Collen said. "She puts people in motion, she knows who her shooters are. She screens for hitters, she gets you confused. They play really, really hard."
Sunday's game will be broadcast by ESPN2, with Brenda VanLengen and former Tech All-American Sheryl Swoopes calling the action.
WACO, Texas – The Baylor women's basketball team hosts Texas Tech at Foster Pavilion on Sunday to begin a two-game homestand.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. and airs nationally on ESPN2 with Brenda VanLengen and Sheryl Swoopes on the call. A live radio broadcast will be available on ESPN Central Texas (1660 AM/92.3 FM) and live in-game updates will be provided via Twitter and live stats.
Tickets are still available for as little as $20 on BaylorBears.com/tickets. Faculty, staff and students who did not purchase a ticket ahead of the game can walk up on Sunday and claim a ticket from the Pack the Pavilion ticket program.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the pregame ceremony unveiling Brittney Griner's No. 42 jersey in the Foster Pavilion rafters begins at approximately 2:45 p.m. Other promotions include a commemorative BG T-shirt giveaway that are on all seats in the arena, a limited amount of custom illustrated poster and sticker giveaways, photo opportunities with BG's Baylor jersey and a halftime student dunk challenge.
STARTING FIVE
- Sunday's game marks the seventh nationally televised game for the Bears this season. Baylor is 4-2 in those contests on the big screen and 11-8 in nationally televised games in the Nicki Collen era.
- The women's basketball program is retiring former Baylor Bear Brittney Griner's No. 42 jersey in a pregame ceremony on Sunday. This will be the seventh women's basketball jersey retired in program history.
- Baylor is one of five programs in NCAA Division I women's basketball with five-or-more top-25 wins this season.
- In Wednesday's setback at Oklahoma, senior Jana Van Gytenbeek put up a season-high 13 points, going 3-for-5 from 3-point range. The trio of 3-pointers by Van Gytenbeek mark the third time this season she has made at least three from behind the arc and second time in three outings.
- Senior Sarah Andrews has 220 career 3-pointers and needs 41 more to break Odyssey Sim's record of 258. The senior guard has hit at least one from range in 22 of 24 games this season and has had two-or-more in 18 of those.
Baylor leads the all-time series, 53-47, and are 23-20 at home against the Lady Raiders. The Bears have won the last 28 meetings between the two programs. Baylor has lost just one game to Texas Tech (Feb. 19, 2011) dating back to the 2006-07 season. Last season at home against Texas Tech, Caitlin Bickle led the way with 21 points while Darianna Littlepage-Buggs finished with 12 points and Bella Fontleroy turned in a team-high nine rebounds.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor women's basketball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorWBB.
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