Feb. 14, 2006
WACO, Texas -
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Game 23:
#12/11 Baylor (17-5, 7-4) vs. #21/24 Texas A&M (19-5, 8-3)
Feb. 15, 2006 • 7 p.m. (CST)
Reed Arena (12,500)
College Station, Texas
RADIO
Baylor/ISP Sports Network
KRZI/ESPN 1660 AM - Waco
WBAP 820 AM - Dallas
Rick May - play-by-play
Phyllis Gamble - color analyst
Broadcast begins 30 minutes prior to tip.
INTERNET FEEDS
Audio - live broadcast stream at BaylorBears.com
Video (All-Access) - live video stream at BaylorBears.com
BAYLOR VS. TEXAS A&M...
The reigning NCAA champion Baylor Lady Bears, currently ranked No. 12 in the AP listing and No. 11 in the Coaches poll, enter the game versus the 21st-ranked Texas A&M Aggies with a 17-5 overall record and a 7-4 Big 12 mark. Baylor sits in third place in the conference one game behind Texas A&M. Texas A&M, 19-5 on the season and 8-3 in Big 12 action, is the second of two consecutive games against ranked opponents for the Lady Bears, who fell Sunday at No. 9 Oklahoma, 81-77, in overtime. Baylor, winners of 52 of its last 61 games, plays three of its last five Big 12 games away from home. BU's four Big 12 losses have been by a combined total of 12 points, three of which came on the road (Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma).
Wednesday's game matches two of the Big 12's top defensive teams, as the Aggies allow a league-low 55.4 points a game and the Lady Bears yield 60.4 to rank No. 3. On the flip side, Baylor is No. 2 in the Big 12 in scoring (75.4) while A&M is No. 3 (71.5). The two teams also rank No. 1 and 2 in scoring margin, the Aggies' margin is 16.1 a game while Baylor is 15.0. Blocked shots and steals are two more areas where the two squads are among the league leaders, Texas A&M is No. 1 in steals with 11.5 a game while the Lady Bears are No. 2 at 11.0 and in blocked shots, Texas A&M averages 5.67 a game and BU manages 5.59, for No. 2 and 3, respectively.
Baylor's Sophia Young, national player of the year candidate and Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, leads Baylor in both scoring and rebounding at 21.2 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. The Kodak All-American is No. 2 in the Big 12 in scoring (No. 1 in league games only) and ranks No. 3 in rebounding. Sophomore point guard Angela Tisdale ranks second on the squad in scoring at 13.2 an outing. Junior forward Abiola Wabara ranks second among Lady Bears in rebounding at 6.1 a game and averages 9.1 points and senior guard Chameka Scott manages 6.0 boards and 8.7 points an outing.
Sophomore forward Morenike Atunrase (5-10) leads the Aggies in scoring at 13.1 points a game. Freshman guard Takia Starks ranks second on the squad in scoring at 11.9 points a game to complete A&M's double-digit scoring averages. Danielle Gant and Tamea Scales both come off the bench to lead the Aggies in rebounding at 5.4 and 5.2 a game, respectively.
Sophia Young NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK...
Sophia Young was named Big 12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week by a media voting panel for games played from Feb 6-12. Young picked up her ninth career weekly honor and second this season.
Young averaged 27.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.0 assists in Baylor's two games last week, a victory over Nebraska and a loss to No. 9 Oklahoma. She was 22-of-36 (.611) from the floor and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. In just 25 minutes of play against Nebraska, Young recorded 18 points and six rebounds, going 7-of-13 (.538) from the floor and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Against Oklahoma, the senior forward produced her Big 12 record 55th career double-double with a 36-point, 14-rebound performance. The 36 points are a career high. In addition, Young moved up to No. 3 on the Big 12's career scoring chart with 2,212 points and also ranks No. 3 on the league's career rebounding chart with 1,205. She also added five steals, a block and was 15-of-23 (.652) from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
BAYLOR QUICK HITS...
• Baylor's 30-game win streak equaled the 10th longest in NCAA Division I women's basketball history. BU is 52-9 over its last 61 games.
• Baylor's four Big 12 losses have come by a combined total of 12 points (at Missouri-3, at Texas Tech-2, vs. Oklahoma-3, at Oklahoma-4).
• In non-conference games, Baylor maintained a .298 (.48-161) shooting percentage from 3-point range but in Big 12 action it is shooting 36.1 (53-147) percent. In free throws, the squad shot .656 (187-285) in non-conference play but is 146-of-196 (.745) in league action.
• Sophia Young is on track to join an elite group who have tallied 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 assists and 300 steals in their NCAA Division I career, as she currently has 2,212 points, 1,205 rebounds, 277 assists and 289 steals.
• Young needs 122 points and 19 rebounds to become the Big 12's all-time scorer and rebounder.
• Young is now the No. 2 scorer in Baylor history with 2,212 points, the highest point total since the sport came under NCAA sponsorship in 1981-82.
• Jordan Davis has missed only six free throws throughout her career (72-78, .923). Prior to missing her first free throw of the season at Texas Tech, she had drained 23 consecutive free throws.
• Kim Mulkey-Robertson's teams are 80-11 (.879) in the Ferrell Center.
• Prior to BU's Jan. 21 loss to Oklahoma, the Lady Bears had won 25 straight home games.
• In non-conference games, Baylor sports a 17-game home win streak and is 43-2 (.956) in the Ferrell Center under Mulkey-Robertson's tutelage. Baylor has registered 42 straight wins in regular-season non-conference home games.
• Baylor is 115-12 (.906) under Mulkey-Robertson when scoring 70 or more points, including 73-3 (.961) when putting 80 or more on the scoreboard.
• Since coming to BU, Mulkey-Robertson has posted the highest win total (148) and winning percentage (.775) among Big 12 Conference programs.
• Young has produced double-digit scoring in 119 of 128 career games and 68 consecutive.
• Young has a Big 12 record 55 career double-doubles to her credit.
• Five players, including all four Lady Bear freshmen, earned grade point averages of 3.0 or above for the fall semester (Sophia Young, Tricia Abbott, Rachel Allison, Jessica Morrow, Jhasmin Player). Young posted a 4.0 mark.
• Baylor's 50-point win over Kansas was its largest ever in a Big 12 game and its biggest since a 53-point win over Sam Houston State in 2003-04.
• Sophia Young has produced 20 double-doubles in 38 career games against ranked (AP) teams.
• Baylor hasn't lost back-to-back games in the same season since the 2002-03 season (Kansas State, at Oklahoma), a span of 106 games.
THE COACHES...
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson is in her sixth season and owns a 148-43 head coaching record which equates to a .775 winning percentage. She has produced 20-win seasons in each of her first five years as a head coach and has taken the Lady Bears to postseason competition every year, four times to the NCAA Tournament and to the 2003 WNIT finals. In 2005, the Lady Bears claimed Baylor's and the Big 12's first NCAA basketball championship. Mulkey-Robertson is 11-1 versus Texas A&M, 5-1 in College Station.
Baylor year-by-year under Mulkey-Robertson:
2000-01 - 21-9 - NCAA, lost in first round (Arkansas)
2001-02 - 27-6 - NCAA, lost in second round (Drake)
2002-03 - 24-11 - WNIT, lost in finals (Auburn)
2003-04 - 26-9 - NCAA, lost in Sweet 16 (Tennessee)
2004-05 - 33-3 - NCAA Champions
2005-06 - 17-5 (Highest preseason ranking in school history No. 6 AP)
Mulkey-Robertson was named Baylor's fourth head coach on April 4, 2000. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame that same year. She was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame in June of 2003.
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 452-202 in his 21st year as a head coach. Prior to his arrival at Texas A&M, Blair spent eight seasons at Stephen F. Austin (210-43) and 10 years at Arkansas (198-120). In his two-plus seasons in College Station, Blair is 44-39. In addition, he spent five years at Louisiana Tech as a graduate assistant and assistant coach, during that time, Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson was a player for the Lady Techsters. Coach Blair is 6-5 versus Baylor throughout his head coaching career.
THE SERIES RECORDS...
Baylor and Texas A&M will meet for the 698th time when the two teams square off on Wednesday evening. Baylor leads the series, 36-32, and has won 17 of the last 20 and 11 consecutive games versus the Aggies, its longest win string ever in the series. Texas A&M's last victory over BU (76-65) came on Feb. 9, 2000 in College Station.
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 GAMES...
The 2005-06 season marks the 10th year of competition for women's basketball in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor has a record of 87-68 in regular season Big 12 games. However, in Kim Mulkey-Robertson's five-plus years, Baylor is 60-31 in Big 12 play and has never posted a losing conference record. In 2004-05 the Lady Bears claimed their first-ever Big 12 Conference championship, winning both the regular season and tournament titles.
BAYLOR'S BIG 12 RECORD BY YEAR...
2000-01 - 9-7
2001-02 - 12-4
2002-03 - 8-8
2003-04 - 10-6
2004-05 - 14-2
2005-06 - 7-4
BAYLOR'S ALL-TIME BIG 12 RECORD...
Home - 56-22
Away - 31-46
Baylor's Big 12 record under Mulkey-Robertson:
Home - 37-9
Away - 23-22
BETTER IN BIG 12 GAMES...
The Lady Bears have improved their three-point and free throw shooting since beginning Big 12 play. In non-conference games, Baylor maintained a .298 (.48-161) shooting percentage from 3-point range but in Big 12 action it is shooting 36.1 (53-147) percent. In free throws, the squad shot .656 (187-285) in non-conference play but is 146-of-196 (.745) in league action.
