Dec. 1, 2006
WACO, Texas -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
#13/#13 Baylor (7-1) vs. Southeast Missouri State (2-2)
Saturday, Dec. 2 - 7 p.m. (CT)
Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas
OVER THE AIRWAVES
TV: None
Internet Feeds
Video: Live video stream at BaylorBears.com
Audio: Live audio stream at BaylorBears.com
Radio: KRZI/ESPN - 1660 AM - Waco
Radio Talent:
Rick May, play-by-play
Lori Fogleman, color analyst
BAYLOR Lady Bears
IN THE POLLS
13 - Associated Press
13 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS
Angela Tisdale - Jr., G, 5-5 - 9.5 ppg, 4.3 apg
Jhasmin Player - So., G, 5-10 - 5.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Jessica Morrow - So., G, 6-2 - 8.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Rachel Allison - So., P, 6-1 - 7.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg
Bernice Mosby - Sr., P, 6-1 - 19.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI State Redhawks
IN THE POLLS
NR - Associated Press
NR - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS
Tarina Nixon - So., G, 5-6 - 10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Ashley Lovelady - Jr., G, 5-7 - 13.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Missy Whitney - Jr., F, 6-2 - 15.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg
Rachel Blunt - So., F, 6-0 - 4.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Lachelle Lyles - Sr., C, 6-2 - 6.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg
The Baylor Lady Bears are coming off a tough stretch where they have played seven games in a 15-day period, which included three top 25 teams, to begin the season.
Baylor faces three more games within a five-day span (TAMU-CC, Nov. 30; Southeast Missouri, Dec. 2; Sam Houston State, Dec. 4) before a well-deserved nine-day break for final exams. One down and two more to go in that three-game stretch after a 64-62 win over Texas A&M-CC on Thursday evening.
Despite the exhausting schedule, the Lady Bears have managed to post a 7-1 record which includes wins over ninth-ranked LSU and No. 22 BYU and a championship of the Junkanoo Jam's Lucaya Division.
The Lady Bears are playing their most challenging non-conference schedule in program history. Baylor has played three teams ranked among the Associated Press' top 25 (No. 9 Purdue, No. 11 LSU, No. 23 BYU) and two others who are receiving votes (Hofstra, South Dakota State). In addition, Baylor's Dec. 17 opponent, UCLA, is receiving votes in the AP Poll.
Eight games into the season, one player is averaging double-digit scoring and one more is just below that mark.
Senior All-America candidate Bernice Mosby leads the way with 19.6 a game while junior point guard Angela Tisdale scores 9.5 points. Mosby is averaging a team-leading 9.8 rebounds a game while sophomore post Rachel Allison is the squad's second-leading rebounder with 7.8 a game and is followed closely by freshman post Danielle Wilson's 6.3.
ON DECEMBER 2
Tonight's game marks the 11th time the Lady Bears have played on Dec. 2. Baylor is 6-4 in games played on that date including a 4-3 record at Waco and 2-1 road mark.
In fact, on Dec. 2, 1998, Jackie Stiles of Southwest Missouri State (now known as Missouri State) set a Baylor opponent scoring and Ferrell Center record when she poured in 52 points against the Lady Bears to propel Southwest Missouri State to an 87-86 victory. Throughout her four-year career, Stiles scored an NCAA record (all divisions) 3,393 points.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, currently 2-2 on the season, come into the Ferrell Center a well-rested team. Acting head coach John Ishee's squad has been idle since Nov. 21 when it posted a 101-78 victory over Harris-Stowe. The Redhawks have a win over Central Arkansas (64-60) to their credit and have suffered losses to Florida State (64-50) and Tulsa (67-54).
The Redhawks, who are based out of Cape Girardeau, Mo., are led by a trio who average double-digit scoring. Leading the way is 6-2 junior forward Missy Whitney's 15.3 points a game. Guard Ashley Lovelady, a 5-7 junior, ranks second on the team at 13.8 an outing and sophomore guard Tarina Nixon manages 10.5 a contest. Senior center Lachelle Lyles (6-2) hauls down a team-leading 11.3 rebounds a game while Whitney follows with 9.0 boards a contest.
SERIES RECORD
This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
VERSUS THE OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
This will be Baylor's seventh game against an Ohio Valley Conference team and it holds a 4-2 series record lead.
BAYLOR IN THE RANKINGS
The Lady Bears are ranked in both major polls. They are listed at No. 13 in the most recent (Nov. 27) AP Poll which extends their school-record streak to 52 straight weeks. BU is also ranked No. 13 in the current USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
BLOCKING BUNCH
If the Lady Bears continue their current pace blocking shots, they will break the record for blocks in a season that the 2002-03 squad set in 35 games with 204. At this point of the season in 2002-03 the Lady Bears had blocked 70 shots, while the current Baylor squad has blocked 71 so far.
Freshman Danielle Wilson and senior Bernice Mosby have combined to account for 42 of this year's rejections.
In fact, Wilson could set a record for blocked shots by a Baylor freshman. She currently has 29 and former Lady Bear Sophia Young owns the top mark at 43 during her rookie season in 2002-03.
HITTING A DRY SPELL
Over the last three games, the Lady Bears have struggled from long distance. They are 2-23 (.087) over that span from three-point range.
DECEMBER IS MONEY FOR MULKEY
In her seven seasons at the helm of the Lady Bear program, Kim Mulkey's December record is 38-1. Her only loss during December came at seventh-ranked Penn State (74-63) in 2003. Under her guidance, the Lady Bears are 22-0 in the Ferrell Center in December and 16-1 on the road.
ALMOST PERFECT
Under Coach Mulkey, Baylor sports a 48-3 non-conference mark in the Ferrell Center, with two 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 the championship game of the 2003 Postseason WNIT. Purdue ended Baylor's 20-game non-league win streak on Nov. 19.
Baylor's overall record versus non-conference opponents since Coach Mulkey's arrival is 99-14.
BU ONE OF WINNINGEST TEAMS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS
Over the last five seasons, the Lady Bears rank among the nation's top programs in both winning percentage and victories.
Baylor sits at No. 11, the highest ranking Big 12 team, in winning percentage at .791 (136-36).Kansas State sits at No. 12 while Oklahoma is No. 19.
The Lady Bears are No. 7 when ranked by victories (136), also tops among Big 12 teams.
BIG 12 LEADERS
Lady Bear players rank among the Big 12 Conference leaders in several categories so far this season.
Angela Tisdale is the league's best free throw shooter at 90.2 percent (37-of-41).
Bernice Mosby ranks No. 3 in the league in both scoring (19.6) and No. 6 in rebounding (9.8). Rachel Allison and Danielle Wilson rank No. 10 and 18, respectively in rebounding.
Wilson is the league's leader in blocked shots with 29 on the season for a 3.63 per game average. She has over twice as many blocks as Oklahoma's Courtney Paris who sits at No. 2 with 12 (2.4/game).
