Nov. 9, 2006
WACO, Texas -
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Game 1
#19/#18 Baylor (0-0) vs. North Texas (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 10 - 7 p.m.
Ferrell Center - Waco, Texas
PRESEASON WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT (WNIT)
The Preseason WNIT field is filled with 16 high-caliber teams. The tournament will get underway on Thursday, Nov. 9 with four contests while four more will be played on Friday, Nov. 10.
Second-round games will be played on Nov. 12-13, semifinals on Nov. 15-16 and the championship is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 19. All games are played on home campuses, which are determined after each round.
First-round games (2005-06 team records in parentheses)
Thursday, Nov. 9
Belmont (22-8) at Purdue (26-7); Iona (17-12) at St. John's (22-8); High Point (20-10) at N.C. State (19-12); Loyola-Marymount (17-12) at Stanford (26-8).
Friday, Nov. 10
Dartmouth (23-7) at Hartford (27-4); North Texas (19-8) at Baylor (26-7); Hofstra (19-12) at Wichita State (15-13); Idaho State (17-13) at BYU (26-6).
FREE WEBCAST FOR ALL WNIT GAMES
For Lady Bear fans that can't be at the Ferrell Center, all WNIT games that Baylor is involved in will be available via FREE video streaming at: www.baylorbears.com.
OVER THE AIRWAVES
TV: None
Webcast: FREE for all WNIT games.
Radio: 92.2 FM
Radio Talent:
Rick May (Play-by-play)
Lori Fogleman (Color analyst)
BAYLOR Lady Bears
IN THE POLLS
19 - Associated Press
18 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS*
Angela Tisdale - Jr., G, 5-5 - 11.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Jhasmin Player - So., G, 5-10 - 3.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Jessica Morrow - So., G, 6-0 - 7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Rachel Allison - So., P, 6-0 - 5.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Bernice Mosby - Sr., P, 6-1 - 15.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg (at Florida)
NORTH TEXAS Mean Green
IN THE POLLS
NR - Associated Press
NR USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS*
Tricia Lee - So., G, 5-8 - 2.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Sanetra Jackson - So., G, 5-8 - 4.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
DiDi Wali - Sr., G, 5-9 - 2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Amber Jackson - So., F, 6-2 - 7.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Talicia Sanders - Jr., P, 6-2 - 5.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg
*2005-06 statistics
HEAD COACH Kim Mulkey
When Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey accepted the position of women's basketball head coach at Baylor University, few could have predicted the dramatic and prestigious turn the program was about to take. In just six years at Baylor, the former All-American and Olympic Gold medalist has guided the Lady Bear basketball program to the pinnacle of women's basketball, the 2005 NCAA national championship, five NCAA Tournament appearances and six 20-win seasons.
The 2005 national title was Baylor's first for a women's team sport and is the only basketball national title, men's or women's, in the Big 12 Conference's 10-year history.
In winning the 2005 title, Mulkey became the first person, man or woman, to win a basketball national championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
En route to the NCAA championship, the Lady Bears won their first Big 12 Conference championship and were the league's tournament champion as well. Mulkey has produced amazing results since taking over the reins of the program on April 4, 2000, averaging 26.1 wins a season. In her six years at the program's helm, she has posted an impressive 157-45 (.777) record which ranks her No. 7 nationally in winning percentage.
Since taking over a squad that was just 7-20 the season prior to her arrival, Mulkey has guided the Lady Bears to six postseason appearances, including five NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the 2003 WNIT finals. In 2004, the Lady Bears made their first trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 and have now played in three straight Sweet 16s.
SECOND APPEARANCE IN PRESEASON WNIT
Baylor is making its second appearance in the Preseason WNIT. The Lady Bears hosted first and second round games in 1998, winning their first round contest against Louisiana-Monroe (84-65) before losing in the second round to 22nd-ranked Florida, 70-58.
IF BAYLOR WINS
If the Lady Bears win against North Texas on Friday, they would host a WNIT second round game on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. The winner of the Baylor/North Texas contest will face the victor of the Wichita State/Hofstra game.
UNFURLING ANOTHER NCAA BANNER
The first home game of every season since Coach Mulkey's arrival Baylor has unfurled a postseason banner. The Lady Bears will lower their sixth banner in pregame ceremonies Friday night when the NCAA Sweet 16 banner unveiled.
BAYLOR IN SEASON OPENERS
The Lady Bears are 25-7 in season openers, including a 12-1 record at home. Under head coach Kim Mulkey, Baylor is 5-1 in season openers including a 2-0 mark in the Ferrell Center. This marks the second time since Coach Mulkey's arrival that the Lady Bears have opened the season against North Texas and the third time in program history. Baylor posted an 85-78 victory over the Mean Green in 2001 in the Nevada Bell Classic at Reno. BU opened the season in the Ferrell Center against North Texas on Nov. 22, 1996 with a 69-57 triumph.
2000-01 - Defeated Miami (Ohio), 75-62, in the Boston University Invitational
2001-02 - Defeated North Texas, 85-78, in the Nevada Bell Classic at Reno
2002-03 - Defeated Princeton, 86-47, in the Women's Sports Foundation Tournament at Waco
2003-04 - Defeated Mississippi State, 88-45, in Waco
2004-05 - Lost to LSU, 71-70, in Austin (State Farm Tip-Off Classic)
2005-06 - Defeated Georgia, 84-72, in Lubbock (State Farm Tip-Off Classic)
In home openers at the Ferrell Center, Baylor is 15-3 (since Nov. 25, 1988). In fact, Baylor has won 13 consecutive home openers beginning with the 1993-94 season. Baylor has opened its season in the Ferrell Center five times and is 4-1 in those games.
1988 - Lost to Southwest Texas, 88-76, Nov. 25, 1988
1993 - Defeated Prairie View A&M, 103-35, Dec. 1, 1993
1996 - Defeated North Texas, 69-57, Nov. 22, 1996
1999 - Defeated McNeese State, 71-41, Nov. 20, 1999
2003 - Defeated Mississippi State, 88-45, Nov. 21, 2003
In fact, this is one of the earliest season openers in program history. Only twice have the Lady Bears opened prior to Nov. 10. The earliest season opener occurred on Nov. 8, 1978 when Baylor defeated Texas State (formerly Southwest Texas), 116-64, in Waco. On Nov. 9, 1976 BU defeated Texas State in Waco, 104-64.
ON NOVEMBER 10
Baylor has only played on Nov. 10 on one previous occasion. The Lady Bears defeated Tarleton State, 87-66, in 1977 in Waco.
SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
The North Texas Mean Green begin the new season with four new starters and just one senior on the roster. They come into the game with one exhibition contest behind them, an 80-67 victory over the Houston Jaguars. Head coach Tina Slinker is in her 18th year at UNT with an overall record of 218-249. Slinker led the Mean Green to the 2005-06 Sun Belt Conference West Division title and has guided UNT to four conference division titles.
SERIES RECORDS VS. NORTH TEXAS
Friday's contest marks the 31st meeting between the Lady Bears and the Mean Green. Baylor leads the series 17-13 including an 8-5 record in Waco. Baylor owns a two-game win streak against UNT and has won three straight in Waco.
MEAN GREEN TIES
Current Baylor associate head coach Karen Aston was an assistant coach at North Texas for two seasons (1996-98). Prior to going to UNT, Aston had spent two seasons at Baylor as a restricted earnings coach.
BAYLOR IN THE RANKINGS
The Lady Bears are ranked in both major preseason polls. They are listed at No. 19 in the AP Poll which extends their school-record streak to 49 straight weeks. BU is ranked No. 18 in the Preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
HOME SWEET HOME
Baylor will play only three games away from the Ferrell Center during its 2006-07 non-conference schedule. At least eight games will be in the friendly confines of the Ferrell Center (North Texas, LSU, Texas A&M-CC, Southeast Missouri, Sam Houston State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, North Carolina A&T and Prairie View A&M).
The Lady Bears will spend their Thanksgiving break in the Bahamas as they compete in the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Grand Bahamas. They will face Central Florida (Nov. 24) and then play the winner of the South Dakota State/Virginia contest on Nov. 25. Baylor's only other non-conference road trip will be to southern California to play UCLA on Dec. 17.
NOVEMBER IS MONEY FOR MULKEY
In her six seasons at the helm of the Lady Bear program, Kim Mulkey's November record is 28-2. Her only two losses, both of which have occurred on the road, were at Montana State (75-66) in 2002 and to No. 3 LSU, a 71-70, in Austin as part of the 2004 State Farm Tip-Off Classic.
ALMOST PERFECT
Under Coach Mulkey, Baylor sports a 43-2 non-conference mark in the Ferrell Center, both losses coming in postseason play. In 2002 Baylor lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Drake, 76-72 and lost to Auburn (64-63) in 2003 in the championship game of the Postseason WNIT. In fact, the Lady Bears have not lost a non-conference home game since the Auburn loss. They are 17-0 since that defeat. Baylor's overall record versus non-conference opponents since Coach Mulkey's arrival is 92-14. Baylor Lady Bears Open Regular Season in WNIT BU hosts North Texas in first round action.
