Nov. 22, 2004
WACO, Texas -
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Game 3:
#8/8 Baylor (1-1) vs. Mississippi State (1-0)
Nov. 23, 2004 • 5:00 p.m.
Humphrey Coliseum (10,500) • Starkville, Miss.
RADIO
1660 AM - ESPN Radio
Rick May - play-by-play
Lori Fogleman - color analyst
#8/8 BAYLOR VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE...
Baylor will play its second road game in three contests when the Lady Bears take on Mississippi State (MSU) in Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville on Tue., Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. Baylor, currently ranked No. 8 in both the Associated Press' poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll, comes into the game at 1-1 after dropping a 71-70 decision to third-ranked LSU in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic and defeating Indiana, 60-47, in the Ferrell Center. MSU comes into the game at 1-0 after posting a home win over New Orleans, 91-50.
The 5:00 p.m. women's game will be a double-header with the MSU men who will take on UMKC at 7:30 p.m.
BAYLOR IN THE POLLS...
On Nov. 8 the Baylor Lady Bears achieved their highest preseason ranking in the Associated Press poll when they broke out of the gate at No. 8. Prior to that, Baylor's highest preseason ranking came in 1976-77 when it debuted at No. 13. In addition, the Lady Bears were ranked No. 8 in the season's first USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll, their highest-ever ranking by the coaches. Baylor remained at No. 8 in both polls this week.
BAYLOR HEAD COACH Kim Mulkey-Robertson...
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson owns a 99-36 head coaching record which equates to a .733 winning percentage in her fifth season along the Lady Bear sideline. She has produced 20-win seasons in each of her four years as a head coach and has taken the Lady Bears to postseason competition all four seasons, three times to the NCAA Tournament and to the finals of the WNIT. In 2004, the Lady Bears advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.
MULKEY-ROBERTSON NEARING 100 VICTORIES...
Kim Mulkey-Robertson has 99 career wins under her belt and it only took her four seasons and two games to reach that total. Since she has only been coaching for four complete seasons, she does not qualify to be ranked among the NCAA Division I winning percentage leaders, as it takes five seasons to qualify. She has a .733 winning percentage and has averaged 24.5 wins per year on the Baylor sideline.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT...
Mississippi State hosts Baylor after winning its home and season opener over New Orleans 91-50. Preseason All-SEC pick Tan White, a 5-7 senior guard, scored 27 points, dished out six assists and registered seven steals and four rebounds against New Orleans. Also scoring in double figures for the Bulldogs were Tainia Burns with 15 and Blessing Chekwa tallied 10.
Sharon Fanning, in her 10th season as MSU head coach, has a 154-111 record on the Starkville campus. In 29 years as a head coach, 11 at Chattanooga and eight at Kentucky, Fanning has produced a career record of 477-339.
LAST MEETING...
Baylor and Mississippi State met in Waco last season in both team's season opener. Baylor registered an 88-45 victory before 4,144 fans. Steffanie Blackmon and Emily Niemann both posted double-doubles, Blackmon tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds and Niemann poured in 20 points and hauled down 10 rebounds. Niemann's double-double against Mississippi State was her first collegiate game, the 10 rebounds remains a career high. Baylor had six players score in double digits in the game, in addition to Blackmon and Niemann, Sophia Young scored 17, Jessika Stratton and Chelsea Whitaker each tallied 12 and Melanie Hamerly added 10. No one from Mississippi State tallied double-figure scoring.
