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Dec. 27, 2001
COMING UP...
The Air Force Falcons and the Lady Bears match up for a non-conference contest. The Lady Bears, ranked No. 8 by AP and No. 10 by the coaches, are 11-0 on the season and have won 15 straight non-conference home games. The Falcons, who come into the game with a two-game winning streak, are 2-7 so far this season and 1-3 on the road.
THE LADY BEARS...
Baylor, 11-0, remained at No. 8 in the Associated Press poll after defeating Arkansas-Little Rock 85-55 on Thursday, Dec. 20. The Lady Bears started the season ranked No. 14. In addition, they moved remained at No. 10 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll.
These are the highest rankings ever for the Lady Bear basketball program.
Eleven games into the season the Lady Bears are led by seniors Sheila Lambert (Seattle, Wash./Chief Sealth HS), Danielle Crockrom (Houston/North Shore HS) and freshman Steffanie Blackmon (Dallas/Rowlett HS). Lambert leads the way with 17.6 points per game, while Crockrom averages 16.9 and Blackmon manages 9.7 a contest. Crockrom hasn't lost a beat from last season when she averaged a double-double for the season. She has hauled down an average of 10.5 rebounds a game in 11 games. Sophomore Chanelle Fox (Houston/Westfield HS) follows at 5.7 boards a contest, Blackmon checks in at 5.6 and senior post Brooke McCormack (Melbourne, Australia) averages 5.5.
MORE BALANCE AND DEPTH...
After relying mainly on Sheila Lambert and Danielle Crockrom last season (they accounted for 56 percent of last season's points) the Lady Bears now have more balance and depth on their roster. Several returnees gained valuable experience last season and have shown marked improvement, resulting in more playing time and production this season. Also, the freshmen, especially Steffanie Blackmon, Kelly Sords (Austin/Westlake HS) and Jordan Davis (Celina/Celina HS), have seen considerable floor time with favorable results. In fact, those three freshmen are averaging over 14 minutes a game.
BENCH CONTRIBUTING...
The Lady Bears are getting more help from off the bench this season. The reserves are contributing 32.5 percent of the Lady Bear's points. Five of the team's seven freshmen are averaging over 6.4 minutes a game. Between them, three freshmen, Steffanie Blackmon, Kelly Sords and Jordan Davis average over 14 minutes a game.
NATIONAL ATTENDANCE...
In unofficial women's basketball Division I home attendance statistics compiled weekly by the University of Wisconsin, the Lady Bears rank #15 with 3,904 a game. Four other Big 12 teams rank above Baylor:
No. 2 - Texas Tech - 13,081
No. 4 - Iowa State - 9,872
No. 12 - Texas - 4,682
No. 14 - Oklahoma - 4,058
No. 15 - Baylor - 3,904
These figures do not include games played after Dec. 16.
THE OPPOSITION...
Air Force Falcons
After losing their first five games of the season, the Air Force Falcons have won two straight coming before coming into the Ferrell Center. The Falcons' first win of the season, over Sacramento State (72-48), snapped a 22-game losing streak. The Falcons' most recent victory came at the expense of Cal State Fullerton (63-55). They have dropped games to Denver (79-47), TCU (71-48), Illinois-Chicago (77-66), Brown (73-57), Binghampton (54-46), Drexel (77-76) and Colorado (80-47). So far this season the Falcon's have been without the services of last season's top scorer, rebounder and assist leader, senior Rozalyn Russ, who has been sidelined because of a broken hand. Sophomore forward Amoy Jackson (Houston/Cypress Creek HS) leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. She is the only Falcon averaging in double figures. Air Force has three players on its roster from Texas, Jackson, Samantha Clifton, a 5-11 senior forward from Emory (Bastrop HS) and Brooke Bauer, a 6-0 senior center from Winnie (East Chambers HS)..
THE COACHES...
Baylor's Kim Mulkey-Robertson is in her second year as a head coach after guiding the Lady Bears to a 21-9 record and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament in her inaugural season. The Lady Bears enjoyed tremendous improvement last season over Baylor's 7-20 record of 1999-2000. Her career record is 32-9.
Air Force is coached by Ardie McInelly, she is in her first season as the Falcons' coach. McInelly came to the Colorado Springs campus from Boise State where she compiled a 77-62 record in five seasons.
SERIES RECORD...
This will be the second meeting between the two schools. Baylor prevailed in Colorado Springs last year 78-53.
LAST MEETING...
On Nov. 28, 2000, Danielle Crockrom, Sheila Lambert, Brooke McCormack and Monica Arnold combined for 63 of Baylor's points in the Lady Bears' 78-53 road victory over Air Force. For the Falcons, Rozlyn Russ and Morgan Bennett scored 16 and 11 points, respectively, to lead the Falcons.
DON'T FOUL THE FRESHMEN...
Five Lady Bear freshmen have a combined .809 free throw percentage. From the free throw line Kelly Sords is 24-of-27 (.889), Melanie Hamerly (Orange/Little Cypress-Mauriceville HS) is 11-of-13 (.846), Jordan Davis (Celina/Celina HS) is 5-of-6 (.833), Lauren Selmon is 3-of-4 (.860) and Steffanie Blackmon is 33-of-44 (.750).
REJECTIONS...
The Lady Bears rejected 99 shots last season and are well on their way to topping that mark this season. Not quite half way through the season, Baylor has registered 60 blocked shots. Danielle Crockrom, Steffanie Blackmon, Brooke McCormack and Melanie Hamerly account for 43 of the team's 60 blocks. In fact, Hamerly averages only 6.4 minutes of play a game but manages to block 1.14 shots a game.
TAKING CHARGE...
Several Lady Bears have been taking charges for the team. Jessika Stratton, senior Nicole Collins (Houston/Dobie HS), Lauren Selmon and Stasha Richards all have taken two and Danielle Crockrom has one to her credit.
MULKEY'S TEAMS PROTECTING THE HOME COURT...
In Kim Mulkey-Robertson's two years as Baylor's head coach her teams are 18-2 in the Ferrell Center. Their only home losses have come against top 25 teams. The Lady Bears are undefeated at home this season.
Ferrell Center losses under Coach Mulkey:
Jan. 13, 2001 - lost to #17 Oklahoma (90-87)
Feb. 7, 2001 - lost to #11 Texas Tech (67-56)
