Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Feb. 25, 2003
WACO, Texas -
Baylor (17-8, 6-7) vs. No. 10 Texas (19-5, 12-1)
Wed., Feb. 26 - 7 p.m. (CST)
Ferrell Center (10,284)- Waco, Texas
Radio - KLRK - FM 92.9 - Rick May (play-by-play) and Lori Scott Fogleman (color analysis). Broadcast begins 30 minutes prior to game time.
Internet - www.BaylorBears.com
COMING UP...
Baylor returns to the Ferrell Center after a weeks absence and two road games while Texas is hitting the road for the first of two road games after being at home for two straight contests.
The game between the Lady Bears and the Longhorns features two members of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Baylor's Kim Mulkey-Robertson (2001) and Texas' Jody Conradt (1998).
Baylor is currently 17-8 overall and 6-7 in league play after splitting two games last week, losing at Oklahoma State and winning at Kansas. Meanwhile, No. 10 Texas is riding a seven-game winning streak and has won 12 of their last 13 games. Their only loss during that period came on the road against Kansas State (71-69). The Longhorns are 19-5 overall and 12-1 in Big 12 action and are tied with Kansas State for the league lead.
PROMOTIONS...
Bevo burgers will be offered prior to the game at the student entrance of the Ferrell Center. The first 200 students receive a free burger with their ID, all others can purchase a Bevo burger one for $1.
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 17.2 points a game. Freshman Sophia Young (St. Vincent, West Indies/Evangel Academy, Shreveport, La.) ranks second at 12.8.
Young, a 6-1 freshman forward , is the Lady Bears' and Big 12's leading rebounder grabbing 9.4 a game. Young ranks first in scoring, rebounding and steals and third in blocked shots among Big 12 Conference freshmen. Steffanie Blackmon is close behind Young with 8.2 an outing.
Chelsea Whitaker (Dallas/Skyline HS) leads the squad in assists with 4.08 a game. Junior Jessika Stratton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Coronado HS) and freshman Ebony Jackson (Arlington/Sam Houston HS) rank second with 4.00 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 113 blocks. Steffanie Blackmon leads the way with 43, Melanie Hamerly (Orange/Little Cypress-Mauriceville HS) follows closely with 39 and Sophia Young has 31 on the season.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE...
Freshman Sophia Young, a 6-1 forward, in just her fourth season of basketball, leads the Big 12 in rebounding at 9.4 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. 3 in blocked shots. She is No. 3 amongst all Big 12 players in field goal percentage (.555). Her 17 rebounds against Iowa State and Texas Tech are the most rebounds by a Big 12 player in league games this season. She has registered 12 games of double-digit rebounds and is second in the league in double-doubles with 11.
Young has twice been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week. Her most recent time came this week after she led Baylor to a victory over No. 7 Texas Tech with 26-point, 17-rebound performance.
Young's statistics in just Big 12 games are equally as impressive as her overall stats. In league games she averages 14.2 points and 9.1 rebounds a contest and is shooting 55.8 percent from the floor. In all games she averages 12.8 points and 9.4 rebounds and is shooting 55.5 percent.
THE OPPONENT...
No. 10 Texas Texas, currently ranked No. 10, is riding a seven-game winning streak and has won 12 of their last 13 games. Their only loss during that period came on the road against Kansas State (71-69). The Longhorns are 19-5 overall and 12-1 in Big 12 action and are tied with Kansas State for the league lead.
The Longhorns have three players that average double digit scoring. Stacy Stephens, a 6-1 junior forward, scores 13.9 points and hauls down 8.8 rebounds a game to lead Texas. Sophomore Heather Schreiber, a 6-2 forward, follows closely with 10.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a contest and junior transfer Jamie Carey, a 5-6 guard, scores 10.8 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 65-23 in her three seasons at Baylor.
Texas' Jody Conradt (Baylor, 1963) is in her 27th season as the Longhorns' head coach where her record is 690-201. She owns a career record of 807-263 in 34 seasons as a head coach.
SERIES RECORDS...
Baylor vs. Texas - Texas leads the series with Baylor 48-13 and leads 20-8 in games played in Waco. However, Baylor has won four of the last five games contested in the Ferrell Center and the last two. Prior to Texas's victory in Austin on Jan. 18 of this year, Baylor had posted four straight wins over Texas. In fact, six of Baylor's 13 series wins have come in the last four seasons.
