Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Feb. 7, 2003
WACO, Texas -
UP NEXT...
Baylor (15-5, 4-4) vs. #5 Kansas State (20-2, 7-1)
Sat., Feb. 8 - 3 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.
Television - Fox Sports Net - Bill Land (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (color analyst).
Internet - www.BaylorBears.com
COMING UP...
Baylor and No. 5 Kansas State each come into the game riding two-game winning streaks. Baylor, 15-5 overall and 4-4 in league play, is coming off their first Big 12 road victory of the season after posting a 69-44 victory over Nebraska, while Kansas State defeated Missouri (68-52) on Wednesday evening in Manhattan.
Kansas State is currently 20-2 on the season and 7-1 in Big 12. Their lone league loss came at the hands of Iowa State, 74-69. Prior to that loss, the Wildcats had won 13 games in a row. Their other loss was delivered by Stanford (63-57) on Nov. 30.
This game features two teams that rank among the top three in the Big 12 in 10 categories. Scoring margin, 3-point field goal percentage, assists, scoring offense, field goal percentage, scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, rebounding margin, blocked shots and assist/turnover ratio.
In addition, the individual matchup should be interesting as well. Scoring - 1. Kendra Wecker (KS), 4. Nicole Ohlde (KS), 5. Steffanie Blackmon (BU)
FG pct. - 2. Sophia Young (BU), 3. Ohlde
Rebounding - 1. Young, 3. Wecker, 4. Ohlde
3-pt. FG pct. - 1. Jessika Stratton (BU), 3. Megan Mahoney (KS)
Blocked Shots - 3. Blackmon, 4. Ohlde, 5. Melanie Hamerly (BU), 6. Brie Madden (KS)
Defensive rebounds - 1. Wecker, 2. Ohlde, 3. Blackmon, 5. Young
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 12.2. Two other Lady Bears also average in double-digits in scoring. Junior Jessika Stratton (Colorado, Springs, Colo./Coronado HS) dropped out of double digits for one game but bounced back with 13 points against Colorado and now averages 10.1. Junior post Dionne Brown (Georgetown/Texas Tech) recently broke into double digits with her 13-point performance against Colorado, she continues to maintain double digits and checks in at 10.4.
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 8.2 an outing.
Chelsea Whitaker (Dallas/Skyline HS) leads the squad in assists with 4.95 a game. Stratton ranks in second with 4.30 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 107 blocks. Steffanie Blackmon leads the way with 40, Melanie Hamerly (Orange/Little Cypress-Mauriceville HS) follows closely with 39 and Sophia Young has 28 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. 2 amongst all Big 12 players in field goal percentage (.582). Her 17 rebounds against Iowa State are the most rebounds by a Big 12 player in a league game this season. She has registered nine game of double-digit rebounds and is tied for the league lead in double-doubles with nine.
THE OPPONENT...
No. 5 Kansas State
The Kansas State Wildcats, 20-2 overall, 7-1 in the Big 12 and ranked fifth nationally, come into the game looking for their first-ever win in the Ferrell Center. The Wildcats are 0-3 in games played in Waco but lead the series 5-4.
The Wildcats have three active players that average in double figures in scoring. A fourth player, Laurie Koehn, also scores in double digits but has been sidelined lately. Sophomore forward Kendra Wecker leads the team and the Big 12 in scoring at 20.0 points a game. Junior center Nicole Ohlde follows with 18.5 a contest and Megan Mahoney, a sophomore forward, scores 13.7 an outing. Koehn, has played in 17 of the team's 22 games and averages 13.5 a game. Wecker and Ohlde combine for 17.1 rebounds a game with each pulling down 8.6 and 8.5, respectively.
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 63-20 in her three seasons at Baylor.
Kansas State's Deb Patterson (Rockford College, 1979) is in her seventh season as the Wildcats' head coach, she is 117-86 at Kansas State. However, over the past two seasons, she has posted a 46-10 mark.
