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Feb. 14, 2003
WACO, Texas - Baylor (15-7, 4-7) vs. #7 Texas Tech (20-2, 9-1)
Sat., Feb. 15 - 7 p.m. (CST)
Ferrell Center (10,284)-Waco, Texas
Radio - KLRK - FM 92.9
Television - Time Warner Cable Channel 16 will carry Texas Tech Television's broadcast live.
COMING UP...
Baylor comes into the game hoping to break a two-game losing streak while Texas Tech hopes to win head coach Marsha Sharp her 500th game.
Baylor, 15-7 overall and 4-6 in the Big 12, has dropped their last two games, a 65-53 decision to Kansas State and a 78-64 loss at Oklahoma.
The Lady Raiders enter the contest riding a five-game winning streak. Texas Tech, 20-2 on the season and 9-1 in the league, suffered a rare season opening loss at the hands of Louisiana Tech then reeled off 15 straight wins before losing at Texas. They have since won five consecutive games.
THE LADY BEARS...
Despite having a young squad, the Lady Bears are posting some impressive numbers.
Sophomore Steffanie Blackmon (Dallas/Rowlett HS) leads the Lady Bears and ranks No. 5 in the Big 12 in scoring with 18.0 points a game. Freshman Sophia Young (St. Vincent, West Indies/Evangel Academy, Shreveport, La.) ranks second at 11.9. One other Lady Bear also averages in double-digits in scoring, junior post Dionne Brown (Georgetown/Texas Tech) averages 10.9 a game.
Young, a 6-1 freshman, is the Lady Bears' and Big 12's leading rebounder grabbing 9.1 a game. Young ranks first in scoring, rebounding and steals and second in blocked shots among Big 12 Conference freshmen. Steffanie Blackmon is close behind Young with 8.1 an outing.
Chelsea Whitaker (Dallas/Skyline HS) leads the squad in assists with 4.76 a game. Stratton ranks in second with 4.29 a contest. Stratton dished out a career-high 13 assists against Mercer and Whitaker has had three games where she tallied nine assists.
The Lady Bears have three players that combine for 109 blocks. Steffanie Blackmon leads the way with 41, Melanie Hamerly (Orange/Little Cypress-Mauriceville HS) follows closely with 39 and Sophia Young has 29 on the season.
FABULOUS FROSH...
Freshman Sophia Young, a 6-1 post, in just her fourth season of basketball, leads the Big 12 in rebounding at 9.1 a game. A freshman has never finished the season as the top rebounder in the Big 12 or former Big Eight and Southwest Conference. Among all Big 12 freshmen, Young ranks No. 1 in rebounding, scoring, steals and is No. 2 in blocked shots. She is No. 3 amongst all Big 12 players in field goal percentage (.558). Her 17 rebounds against Iowa State are the most rebounds by a Big 12 player in a league game this season. She has registered 10 game of double-digit rebounds and is second in the league in double-doubles with nine.
Texas Tech
The Texas Tech Lady Raiders, 20-2 overall, 9-1 in the Big 12 come into the game hoping give head coach Marsha Sharp her 500th career victory.
Two Lady Raiders are averaging in double figures. Leading the way is senior Plenette Pierson, a 6-2 forward/post, with 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. Jia Perkins, a 5-8 junior guard, follows with 16.1 a game.
THE COACHES...
In just her third season as Baylor's head coach, Kim Mulkey-Robertson has led the Lady Bears to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances, a final national ranking of No. 7 last season and a second place finish in the highly-competitive Big 12 Conference. The 2000 inductee to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame has a career record of 63-22 in her three seasons at Baylor.
Texas Tech's Marsha Sharp (Wayland Baptist, 1974) is in her 21st season has the Lady Raiders' head coach. She owns a career record of 499-155 at Texas Tech.
SERIES RECORDS... Baylor vs. Texas Tech - Texas Tech leads the series 43-10. The Lady Raiders lead 19-3 in games played in Waco. Baylor has won the last game played in Waco (Feb. 9, 2002). After losing to Texas Tech 39 straight times, the Lady Bears bested Texas Tech 2-1 in games played last season. The Lady Raiders took the first game in Lubbock (83-63) but Baylor rebounded and won the next two: 85-69 in Waco and 75-60 in the Big 12 Tournament. Prior to Baylor's Waco victory, the Lady Bears hadn't posted a win over Texas Tech since March 11, 1983.
