Nov. 12, 2003
WACO, Texas -
Baylor vs. Houston Jaguars - EXH.
Thurs., Nov. 13, 2003 - 7 p.m. Ferrell Center (10,284)
Waco, Texas
Baylor vs. Perik Jumpers (Netherlands) - EXH.
Mon., Nov. 17, 2003 - 7 p.m.
Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
LADY BEARS VS. THE JAGUARS...
This will be the fifth exhibition meeting between the Houston Jaguars and the Lady Bears. Baylor has won all four prior contests. They posted a 105-75 victory in 1999, beat the Jags 83-70 in 2000, won 85-52 in 2001 and defeated the Jaguars 83-63 last year.
The Jaguars were founded in 1997 to help players continue their post-collegiate careers. They play several exhibition games during November including a 109-60 loss at Texas Tech on Monday.
Two former Baylor players are scheduled to play for the Jaguars in Waco. Tonia (Harris) Finley played for four seasons (1993-97) and led the Lady Bears in rebounding for two of those seasons. Tara Eachles played one season at Baylor (1997-98) before taking a medical retirement.
THE LADY BEARS...
In her three seasons as Baylor's women's basketball coach, Kim Mulkey-Robertson has taken the Lady Bears to three straight postseason appearances. And, she expects the 2003-04 campaign to bring the same result.
As the Lady Bear head coach, Mulkey-Robertson has produced an impressive 72-26 record, three 20-plus win seasons, two NCAA Tournaments and a WNIT finals appearance. With four starters and 11 lettermen returning off last season's 24-11 squad, expectations are lofty for the 2003-04 edition of the Lady Bears. In addition, Mulkey-Robertson has kept her outstanding coaching staff intact. Associate head coach Bill Brock and assistant coaches Jennifer Roberts and Johnny Derrick return for their fourth season and graduate assistant Rekha Patterson is back for her second year.
With four starters returning, the Lady Bears will have plenty of experience to draw from. Steffanie Blackmon and Sophia Young proved to be scoring and rebounding machines in the paint for the Lady Bears. The duo were the team's top two scorers and rebounders. Blackmon's 17.6 points and 8.0 rebounds a game earned her second-team all-Big 12 honors from both the coaches and media and Young, with her 10.0 rebounds a game, became the first freshman to lead the Big 12 and former Big Eight and Southwest Conferences in rebounding. Young, despite being snubbed by the league's coaches for Freshman of the Year honors, ranked No. 1 among Big 12 freshmen in scoring, rebounding and steals and was No. 2 in blocked shots. Among all league players, Young was No. 1 in rebounding, No. 3 in field goals, No. 4 in steals and No. 14 in scoring. For her accomplishments she earned honorable mention All-Big 12 and was the media's consensus Freshman of the Year.
Jessika Stratton, the lone player to start every game, led the team in assists and finished the season averaging 9.1 points a game. Ebony Jackson emerged as the team's starting point guard and started the last 14 games of the season. The newcomer averaged 6.0 points and a team-leading 4.3 assists a game. Baylor's lone starter lost was Stasha Richards who averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds an outing.
Blackmon, Young and Melanie Hamerly combined to block 149 shots, which played a large part in breaking the program's single season block mark.. The trio accounted for 74 percent of the team's blocked shots. Blackmon led the team with 58, Hamerly ranked second with 48 and Young followed closely with 43.
Three returning players that logged almost 20 minutes a game will be counted on heavily this season. Senior Dionne Brown and juniors Chelsea Whitaker and Jordan Davis will provide valuable experience and will challenge for starting roles. Sophomore Chameka Scott and junior Tiffanie Blackmon each saw game action last season and worked hard in the off-season and should see more action for the upcoming year.
Add in three talented newcomers, Monique Jones, Emily Niemann and Abiola Wabara, an impressive schedule and you've got the recipe for some exciting basketball this season in the Ferrell Center.
ON THE SIDELINES...
On the first day of practice, it looked like the whole junior class was sidelined with injuries. Juniors Steffanie Blackmon, Tiffanie Blackmon, Chanelle Fox and Jordan Davis were held out of drills due to various ailments. Steffanie Blackmon, who suffered a dislocation of her kneecap at the World University Games in Korea, has since returned to practice but will see limited action. Tiffanie Blackmon is still nursing a broken toe. Chanelle Fox, who sat out last season as a medical redshirt, had additional knee surgery last summer and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Jordan Davis was hospitalized in October for blood clots in her lungs and will probably sit out the 2003-04 campaign as a redshirt.
Senior Jessika Stratton missed four days of practice in late October/early November with a sprained ankle but is back up to full speed now.
Abiola Wabara, a 2002-03 redshirt, will sit out the first seven games of the season for playing in a league in Italy that included pro players
