The Baylor Lady Bear basketball team will open their 2003-04 season against perennial power Mississippi State and will open the Big 12 portion of their schedule at home against Colorado on Wednesday, Jan. 7, head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson announced.

The Lady Bears, coming off their third straight 20-plus win season under Mulkey-Robertson, have compiled a challenging non-conference schedule that will prepare the team for the rigors of the always powerful Big 12 Conference. Baylor returns four starters off last season's 24-11 team including junior Steffanie Blackmon and sophomore Sophia Young who combined for 1,095 points, 622 rebounds and101 blocks during the 2002-03 campaign.

After playing two exhibition contests against the Houston Jaguars (Nov. 13) and the Basketball Travelers (Nov. 17), the Lady Bears will play their first four games at home in the Ferrell Center. The Lady Bears open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 21 when they host Southeastern Conference power Mississippi State. The Lady Bulldogs finished last season with a 24-8 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the second round. The very next night (Sat., Nov. 22) Baylor will take on Nicholls State. The Lady Bears' next game, Sat., Nov. 29, will pit the Stratton sisters against each other when Washington State comes to Waco. Nicole Stratton will be a freshman for the Cougars while Jessika is a senior for Baylor. The Lady Bears will complete their four-game home stand when they meet the Big West Conference's University of Pacific for the first time.

Seven of Baylor's next eight games will be on the road. Baylor will travel to Houston to compete in the Gene Hackerman Rice Invitational on Dec. 5 & 6. First up for the Lady Bears will be Eastern Kentucky, out of the Ohio Valley Conference, Baylor will then play either Stephen F. Austin or Rice on Saturday. Then it's off to University Park, Pa., to face Penn State. The Lady Lions finished the 2002-03 season at 26-9 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Penn State is led by Kodak and Associated Press All-American Kelly Mazzante. After hosting Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 15), in their second of two home games of the month, the Lady Bears will travel to Puerto Rico and the San Juan Shoot-Out where they will join North Carolina State, Eastern Michigan and host school Puerto Rico-Mayaguez for a three-day tournament (Dec. 20-22). Baylor will face its second SEC opponent when they travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the University of Florida on Dec. 30. Their final non-conference game will be on Jan. 2 when Baylor hosts Sam Houston State.

Baylor will attempt to move back into the upper tier of the Big 12 Conference after placing seventh last season. As usual, the Big 12 is loaded with talented teams. Last season five teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech, Kansas State, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma) and Baylor and Missouri played in the WNIT.

Baylor will appear on Fox Sports Network broadcasts three times during the conference race. Road games against Texas A&M and Texas Tech will be televised while the Texas Tech/Baylor game in Waco will also be aired.

The Lady Bears will play South Division opponents Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech twice each and play each member of the North Division once. North Division foes Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska will travel to Waco to take on the Lady Bears in the Ferrell Center.

For ticket information and season ticket packages, contact the Baylor Athletic Ticket Office at 800-71- 1234 or 800-BAYLORU, option 7.

2003-04 Baylor Lady Bear Basketball Schedule

NOVEMBER
13 (THURS)- HOUSTON JAGUARS (EXHIB.)- WACO - 7 pm
17 (MON)- BASKETBALL TRAVELERS (EXHIB.)- WACO - 7 pm
21 (FRI)- MISSISSIPPI STATE - WACO - 7 pm
22 (SAT)- NICHOLLS STATE - DH - WACO - 6 pm
29 (SAT)- WASHINGTON STATE - DH - WACO - 7 pm

DECEMBER 1 (MON)- PACIFIC - WACO - 7 pm
5 & 6 - at Gene Hackerman Rice Invitational - Houston
5 (Fri)- Baylor vs. Eastern Kentucky - 5 pm
6 (Sat)- Baylor vs. Rice/Stephen F. Austin - 5/7 pm
9 (Tues)- at Penn State - University Park, Pa. - 6 pm
15 (MON)- SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA - WACO - 7 pm
20, 21, 22- at San Juan Shootout - San Juan, Puerto Rico
20 (Sat)- Baylor vs. UPR-Mayaguez - 3 pm
21 (Sun)- Baylor vs. Eastern Michigan - 3 pm
22 (Mon)- Baylor vs. North Carolina State - 3 pm
30 (Tues)- at Florida - Gainesville, Fla. 6 pm

JANUARY
2 (FRI) - SAM HOUSTON STATE - WACO - 7 pm
7 (WED)- COLORADO* - WACO - 7 pm
10 (Sat)- at Texas A&M* (Fox Sports Net)- College Station - 2:30 pm
14 (WED)- TEXAS* - WACO - 7 pm
17 (Sat)- at Texas Tech* - (Fox Sports Net) Lubbock - 5 pm
21 (Wed)- KANSAS* - WACO - 7 pm
24 (Sat)- at Oklahoma* - Norman, Okla.- 3:30 pm
27 (Tues)- at Kansas State* - Manhattan, Kan. - 7 pm
31 (SAT)- NEBRASKA* - WACO - 7 pm

FEBRUARY
8 (SUN)- TEXAS TECH* - (Fox Sports Net)- WACO - Noon
11 (Wed)- at Missouri* - Columbia, Mo. - 7 pm
14 (Sat)- at Iowa State* - Ames, Iowa - 8 pm
18 (WED)- OKLAHOMA STATE* - WACO - 7 pm
21 (SAT)- OKLAHOMA* - WACO - 7 pm
25 (Wed)- at Texas* - Austin - 7 pm
28 (SAT)- TEXAS A&M* - WACO - 7 pm

MARCH 3 (Wed)- at Oklahoma State* - Stillwater, Okla. - 7 pm
9-11, 13 - Big 12 Tournament - Dallas - TBA

*Big 12 Conference game
DH- Doubleheader with Baylor men - All home games played in the Ferrell Center

Big 12 Tournament - Reunion Arena, Dallas