Jan. 25, 2005
WACO, Texas -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game 17
Jan. 26 - 7:05 p.m. (CST)
#7/8 Baylor (13-3, 3-2) vs. Texas A&M (11-5, 2-4)
Ferrell Center (10,284) • Waco, Texas
RADIO - 1660 AM ESPN Radio
Rick May - play-by-play
Lori Fogleman - color analyst
Broadcast begins 30 minutes prior to tip.
INTERNET FEEDS
Audio - live broadcast stream at BaylorBears.com
Video (BearCast) - live video stream at BaylorBears.com
#7/5 BAYLOR VS. TEXAS A&M...
The 7th-ranked Baylor Lady Bears, 13-3 on the season and 3-2 in league action, host Texas A&M on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at the Ferrell Center in Waco.
Baylor comes into the game having won 13 of its last 15 games. After opening the season with a 71-70 loss to then-No. 3 LSU, Baylor posted wins over Indiana (60-47), Mississippi State (66-49), Sam Houston State (84-53), Rice (77-65), Jackson State (73-56), East Carolina (80-59), back-to-back Big Ten champion Penn State (91-70), Washington (74-58), Florida (89-62), Montana State (92-47), Texas A&M (64-50) and No. 7 Texas (63-60) before falling at Nebraska 103-99 in triple overtime. The Lady Bears got back on the winning track by defeating the University of Oklahoma (78-68) in Waco on Sunday, Jan. 16 but fell to Texas (69-55) in Austin on Jan. 22.
National Player of the Year candidates Sophia Young and Steffanie Blackmon lead the team in both scoring and rebounding with Young averaging 17.1 points and 9.8 rebounds and Blackmon right behind with 16.0 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Texas A&M enters the contest with an 11-5 season record and a 2-4 Big 12 mark. After beginning the season with a 9-1 mark, the Aggies have lost four of their last six games including two straight. They have dropped games to Baylor, Oklahoma (twice) and Kansas State while posting wins over Oklahoma State and Kansas. Junior forward/center Tamea Scales leads the Aggies in both scoring and rebounding with 10.0 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Morenike Atunrase, a 5-10 freshman, ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 9.4 points and 5.5 boards an outing.
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. The Lady Bears have steadily risen in the polls and recently achieved their highest-ever position, No. 2, Jan. 10. Baylor slipped to No. 7 this week after a loss at Texas. Another historic milestone was reached by the Lady Bears as they received 12 first-place votes in the Jan. 10 AP poll. It was the first time Baylor received any first-place votes. Twelve straight weeks in the top 10 is a school record for total weeks in top 10. The previous high was 11 which was achieved in the 2001-02 season. 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. In the Jan. 10 poll, Baylor jumped up two spots to No. 3 and is currently ranked No. 8 by the coaches.
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 ACTION...
The 2004-05 season marks the ninth year of competition for women's basketball in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor has a record of 69-64 in Big 12 games. However, in Kim Mulkey-Robertson's four years, Baylor is 42-27 in Big 12 play and has never posted a losing conference record.
2000-01 - 9-7
2001-02 - 12-4
2002-03 - 8-8
2003-04 - 10-6
2004-05 - 3-2
POST TANDEM ON MIDSEASON WOODEN AWARD LIST...
Sophia Young and Steffanie Blackmon are two of 20 players on the prestigious John R. Woden Award midseason list it was announced on Saturday, Jan. 22. Young, a 6-1 junior forward, is averaging 17.1 points and 9.8 rebounds for Baylor while Blackmon, a 6-2 post, scores 16.0 points and hauls down 8.2 boards a game.
The midseason list is based on individual player performance and team records through the first half of the season. Young, who leads the nationally-ranked Lady Bears in both scoring and rebounding was originally omitted from the preseason Wooden Award list but was added due to her outstanding play so far this season. Blackmon was included in the preseason list.
LADY BEARS AMONG NATION'S LEADERS...
The Lady Bears appear in the top 50 in NCAA Division I statistics in nine categories and are among the top 10 in three areas. Baylor ranks No. 1 in 3-point field goal percentage (.439), No. 8 in assists per game (18.5) and No. 10 in scoring offense (75.9).
Individually, Sophia Young is 23rd in rebounds per game (9.8) and Steffanie Blackmon ranks No. 47 in free throw percentage (.844). Previously Emily Niemann was listed at No. 3 in 3-point field goal percentage but now does not meet the minimum 2.0 made per game to be ranked.
HOT FROM 3-POINT LAND, TOPS IN THE NATION...
As a team, Baylor ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division I statistics in 3-point shooting percentage at 43.9 percent. Prior to the beginning of Big 12 play, Baylor was red-hot from beyond the arc and regained its long-range touch versus Oklahoma. For three games prior to the Oklahoma contest, Baylor was just 5-of-20 (.250) from beyond the arc. Against the Sooners it poured in 7-of-13 treys for a 53.8 percentage, including 6-of-8 (.750) in the second half. Angela Tisdale (3-5) and Chameka Scott (3-4) were 6-of-9 versus the Sooners.
Three BU players, sophomore Emily Niemann, junior Chameka Scott and freshman Angela Tisdale, are hot from 3-point range. On the year the trio combines to shoot 47.4 percent (63-of-133) from behind the arc. Niemann leads the way at 53.7 percent (29-54), Tisdale manages 43.8 percent (14-32), Scott hits 42.6 percent (20-47).
Baylor nails 43.9 percent of its shots from beyond the arc as a team. In fact of the nine players who have hit treys this season, seven have 3-point shooting percentages of 40.0 percent or higher: Abiola Wabara (1.000, 1-1), Emily Niemann (.537, 29-54), Jordan Davis (.455, 5-11), Monique Jones and Chisa Ononiwu (.500, 2-4), Angela Tisdale (.438, 14-32) and Chameka Scott (.426, 20-47).
Baylor has shot 50 percent or higher from beyond the arc in five games this season. The Lady Bears were a season-high .667 (10-15) versus Montana State, .588 (10-17) against Sam Houston State, .583 (7-12) versus Penn State, .571 (8-14) against Washington and .538 (7-13) against Oklahoma.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT...
Texas A&M enters the contest with an 11-5 season record and a 2-4 Big 12 mark. After beginning the season with a 9-1 mark, the Aggies have lost four of their last six games including two straight. They have dropped games to Baylor, Oklahoma (twice) and Kansas State while posting wins over Oklahoma State and Kansas.
Junior forward/center Tamea Scales leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with 10.0 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Morenike Atunrase ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 9.4 points and 5.5 boards an outing.
Texas A&M's Gary Blair is in his second season as the Aggies' head coach, coming to College Station after highly successful head coaching stints at Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin. His first year at Texas A&M resulted in a 9-19 record (2-14 Big 12 mark), his squad is 11-5 so far this season. Blair spent eight seasons at Stephen F. Austin where he compiled a 210-43 record then moved to Arkansas where he posted a 198-120 mark in 10 campaigns. His career record is 428-187 in his 20th season as a collegiate head coach. Blair is 7-3 when coaching against Baylor. He posted a 3-0 record over the Lady Bears while coaching at Stephen F. Austin, was 4-0 at Arkansas and is 0-3 at Texas A&M. In addition, he was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech while Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson was a player for the Lady Techsters.
THE SERIES RECORD...
The Jan. 26 Baylor-Texas A&M contest marks the 67th meeting between the two squads. With its two victories last season and a win in College Station on Jan. 5 Baylor claimed the series lead 34-32. Baylor has won the last nine games between the two schools and has claimed victories in 15 of the last 18 games. Since the beginning of Big 12 competition in 1997, Baylor is 15-3 versus the Aggies, including a 14-3 mark in regular season league games. The two teams met in the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas in 2003.
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson is 9-1 versus Texas A&M.
The Aggies' last victory over Baylor came on Jan. 20, 2001 in College Station. Texas A&M prevailed 87-81 despite Baylor's Danielle Crockrom's 41-point, 22 rebound performance.
EARLIER THIS SEASON...
Baylor and Texas A&M met at College Station in the conference season opener on Jan. 5 with Baylor posting a 64-50 win. Sophia Young and Steffanie Blackmon combined for 41 of Baylor's 64 points with 21 points and 20 points, respectively. Baylor held a slim 26-21 halftime lead but exploded for 38 second half points to secure the victory. Charlette Castile and Tamea Scales scored in double figures for the Aggies with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
