March 14, 2007
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NCAA Tournament - First Round
#19/17 Baylor (25-7) vs. Chattanooga (25-7)
March 18, 2007 • approx. 1:30 p.m. (CST)
RBC Center (19,500) - Raleigh, N.C.
OVER THE AIRWAVES
TV: ESPN*
Dave Pasch, play-by-play
Debbie Antonelli, color analyst
Heather Cox, sideline
* Complete coverage in home market with whip-around coverage from other games provided.
Internet Feeds
Audio: Live audio stream at BaylorBears.com
Radio: KRZI/ESPN - 1660 AM - Waco
KVCE - 1160 AM - Dallas
Radio Talent:
Rick May, play-by-play
Lori Fogleman, color analyst
2007 NCAA Tournament
Fresno Regional
First Round - March 18 (Sunday)
RBC Center - Raleigh, N.C.
No. 4 North Carolina State (23-9) vs. Robert Morris (24-7) - ESPN2 - 11 a.m. (CDT)
No. 5 Baylor (25-7) vs. Chattanooga (25-7) - ESPN - approximately 1:30 p.m. (CDT)
Second Round - March 20 (Tuesday)
Winner N.C. State/Robert Morris vs. winner Baylor/Chattanooga - TBA
BAYLOR IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT...
Baylor is competing in its fourth straight and sixth all-time NCAA Tournament, as all six appearances have come since head coach Kim Mulkey assumed the program's helm. BU is 11-4 in NCAA Tournament games including 4-1 in first round games, 3-1 in second round games, 1-2 in the Sweet 16, 1-0 in the Elite Eight, 1-0 in the semifinals and 1-0 in championship games.
The Lady Bears have made three straight Sweet 16 appearances and won the 2005 NCAA championship.
Baylor secured an at-large bid after finishing the regular season at 25-7 and posting an 11-5 Big 12 Conference mark. The Lady Bears, currently ranked No. 18 in the March 11 AP Poll, enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed.
Chattanooga, winners of eight straight games and 14 of its last 15, begins NCAA Tournament play with a 25-7 record. The Lady Mocs received an automatic bid by winning the Southern Conference Tournament.
The winner of two games in Raleigh will advance to the Fresno Regional which will be held at the Save Mart Center (15,621) on March 24 and 26.
TICKETS...
Lady Bear fans wishing to purchase tickets for Baylor's first-round NCAA Tournament game against Chattanooga, Sunday, March 18, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., should contact the North Carolina State Ticket Office at 919.865.1510. Ticket prices are $16. Tickets may also be purchased on-line at www.gopack.com. When ordering tickets via phone or the internet, Baylor fans should indicate their desire to sit close to the Lady Bear bench.
HEAD COACH Kim Mulkey...
When Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey accepted the position of women's head basketball coach at Baylor University, few could have predicted the dramatic and prestigious turn the program was about to take. In just seven 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, six NCAA Tournament appearances and seven 20-win seasons.
The 2005 national title was Baylor's first for a women's team sport and 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 26.0 wins a season. In her seven years at the program's helm, she has posted an impressive 182-52 (.778) 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 seven postseason appearances, including six 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.
PROBABLE STARTERS...
BAYLOR Lady Bears
IN THE POLLS
19 - Associated Press
17 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS
Angela Tisdale - Jr., G, 5-5 - 10.8 ppg, 3.6 apg
Jhasmin Player - So., G, 5-10 - 7.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Jessica Morrow - So., G, 6-2 - 9.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Rachel Allison - So., P, 6-1 - 7.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Bernice Mosby - Sr., P, 6-1 - 17.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg
CHATTANOOGA Lady Mocs
IN THE POLLS
NR - Associated Press
NR - USA Today/ESPN Coaches
PROBABLE STARTERS
Laura Hall - Jr., G, 5-6 - 10.0 ppg, 3.7 apg
Tagan Hatchett - Sr., G, 5-8 - 3.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Brooke Hand - Jr., G, 5-8 - 10.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Kristen Spann - Jr., F, 6-1 - 5.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Alex Anderson - Jr., F, 6-1 - 20.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg
THE LADY BEARS...
The Baylor Lady Bears concluded their regular season after playing the most challenging non-conference schedule in program history and the rigorous Big 12 Conference schedule. Baylor played three teams ranked among the Associated Press' top 25 (No. 9 LSU, No. 12 Purdue, No. 22 BYU) and two others who were receiving votes (Hofstra, UCLA) during non-league play. All told, Baylor has played 11 ranked opponents, including seven during Big 12 Conference action (No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 16 Texas A&M, No. 22 Nebraska, No. 24 Texas, No. 25 Kansas State) and one (No. 11 Oklahoma) in the Big 12 Championship.
Through 32 games, two players are averaging double-digit scoring but the Lady Bears have tremendous balance as seven players contribute 7.0 or more points a game.
Senior All-America candidate Bernice Mosby, a Wade Trophy and Wooden Award finalist, leads the way with 17.5 a game, ranking No. 3 among Big 12 players, and junior point guard Angela Tisdale scores 10.8 points. Sophomore guard Jessica Morrow manages 9.4, freshman post Danielle Wilson scores 8.4 an outing while sophomore Jhasmin Player manages 7.6, freshman Latara Darrett tallies 7.5 and sophomore post Rachel Allison scores 7.0.
Mosby is averaging a team-leading 9.2 rebounds a game, which ranks No. 3 in the conference and includes 13 double-doubles, while Allison is the squad's second-leading rebounder with 6.1 a contest and is followed by Wilson's 5.0.
SCOUTING THE LADY MOCS...
The 12th-seeded Chattanooga Lady Mocs, 25-7 on the season, enter the contest on an eight-game win streak and winners of 14 of their last 15 contests.
Head coach Wes Moore is in his ninth year at Chattanooga and 18th overall as a head coach. He is 414-117 (.780) in his career and 214-61 (.778) at Chattanooga.
Chattanooga is led in scoring and rebounding by 6-1 junior forward Alex Anderson's 20.7 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. She ranks No. 12 nationally in points per game and No. 26 in rebounds and has 16 double-doubles to her credit this season. Two other Mocs, juniors Brooke Hand and Laura Hall, average 10.7 and 10.0 points a game, respectively. Hand's 2.7 treys a game ranks her No. 14 nationally while she is No. 27 in 3-point field goal percentage at .388.
As a team, the Mocs ranks No. 7 in NCAA Division I statistics in 3-point field goals per game with 7.9.
SERIES RECORD...
This will be the first meeting between Baylor and Chattanooga.
LADY BEARS VERSUS POSTSEASON FIELDS...
The Lady Bears have faced 10 teams who received NCAA Tournament bids and posted a 7-7 record (50.0%) against those squads -- BYU (1-0), Iowa State (1-0), LSU (1-0), Nebraska (0-1), Prairie View A&M (1-0), Purdue (0-1), Southeast Missouri (1-0), Oklahoma (0-3), Oklahoma State (2-0) and Texas A&M (0-2) .
Baylor has played four teams (Hofstra, Missouri, Kansas State, South Dakota State) that were selected for the Postseason WNIT and was 4-0 versus those schools.
MORROW EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS...
Sophomore guard/forward Jessica Morrow was named to the five-member all-tournament team at the Big 12 Championship. She scored a career-high 25 points against 11th-ranked Oklahoma in the championship semifinals.
Morrow was joined on the squad by OU's Courtney Paris (MVP), Jenna Plumley and Leah Rush and Iowa State's Lyndsey Medders.
MOSBY A WOODEN AWARD AND WADE TROPHY FINALIST...
Bernice Mosby was recently named one of 16 Wooden Award finalists and one of 12 Wade Trophy finalists. She and OU's Courtney Paris were the only two Big 12 players named to the final list.
BAYLOR'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY...
Baylor is competing in its fourth straight and sixth all-time NCAA Tournament, as all six appearances have come since head coach Kim Mulkey assumed the program's helm. BU is 11-4 in NCAA Tournament games including 4-1 in first round games, 3-1 in second round games, 1-2 in the Sweet 16, 1-0 in the Elite Eight, 1-0 in the semifinals and 1-0 in championship games.
2001- No. 8 seed - West Region - Durham, N.C. (Duke host)
First round - lost to No. 9 seed Arkansas (68-59)
2002- No. 2 seed - East Region - Waco, Texas (Baylor host)
First round - def. No. 15 seed Bucknell (80-56)
Second round - lost to No. 7 seed Drake (76-72)
2004- No. 4 seed - Midwest Region - Albuquerque (University of New Mexico host)
First round - def. No. 13 seed Loyola Marymount (71-60)
Second round - def. No. 5 seed Florida (91-76)
Sweet 16 - lost to No. 1 Tennessee (71-69) (Oklahoma host)
2005- No. 2 seed - Tempe Regional - Seattle (University of Washington host)
First round - def. No. 15 seed Illinois State (91-70)
Second round - def. No. 10 seed Oregon (69-46)
Sweet 16 - def. No. 3 seed Minnesota (64-57) (Tempe - Arizona State host)
Elite Eight - def. No. 1 seed North Carolina (72-63)
Semifinal - def. No. 1 seed LSU (68-57) (Indianapolis)
Championship - def. No. 1 seed Michigan State (84-62)
2006- No. 3 seed - Albuquerque Regional - Tucson (University of Arizona host)
First round - def. No. 14 seed Northern Arizona (74-56)
Second round - def. No. 11 seed New Mexico (87-67)
Sweet 16 - lost to No. 2 seed Maryland (82-63)
Albuquerque (New Mexico host)
2007- No. 5 seed - Fresno Regional
Raleigh, N.C. (N.C. State host)
First round - vs. Chattanooga (25-7)
NO. 1 IN NCAA BLOCKING STATISTICS...
The Lady Bears come into the contest ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division I statistics (through games of March 11) in blocked shots per game at 7.3 while second-ranked North Carolina and top-ranked Duke sit at No. 2 with 6.7 each. In total blocks through games of March 11, Baylor's 235 rejections rank No. 1, 14 blocks ahead of North Carolina's 221.
NEARING THE NCAA BLOCKING RECORD...
The Lady Bears have blocked a Big 12-record 235 shots this season and are nearing the NCAA Division I single season record as well. Connecticut currently holds the record of 250, set in the 1995 season. Baylor needs just 16 more rejections to claim the record.
BIG 12 CONFERENCE BLOCKING RECORD...
Against Kansas in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals, Baylor, with its school-record 233 blocks on the season, set a new Big 12 single season blocks record, breaking Texas Tech's 2005 record of 232.
With its 235 blocks Baylor has blocked 69 more shots on the season than its nearest Big 12 opponent (Oklahoma, 166, 5.9 bpg).
All-Time Big 12 Single-Season List:
1. 235, Baylor (2007)
2. 232, Texas Tech (2005)
ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATE Bernice Mosby...
Senior transfer Bernice Mosby, an All-America candidate, was named Newcomer of the Year by the Big 12 coaches and was recently named one of 12 finalists for the WBCA's 2007 Wade Trophy and was named one of 16 finalists for the Wooden Award.
Mosby, in her two-plus seasons at the University of Florida, averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. She averaged a team-leading 15.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 30.3 minutes a game as a junior before leaving the team in late March. She amassed 1,124 points and 625 rebounds at Florida and was voted 2004 Southeastern Conference Sixth Woman of the Year. Mosby was also named to the 2003 SEC All-Freshman team and second-team All-SEC by the coaches and media in 2005.
Since her arrival at Baylor she has stepped up her averages and leads the Lady Bears and is one of the Big 12's top players at 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds a game. She has produced 88 double-figure scoring efforts, 36 double-figure rebounding games with 30 double-doubles throughout her career. Even more impressive this season are her numbers versus Baylor's 110 ranked opponents, 20.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game with six double-doubles.
FRESHMAN REJECTION...
When she's in the game, freshman post Danielle Wilson has the ability to alter the opponent's game plan. In 32 games, Wilson has used her expansive wing span (82 1/4") to block a team-leading and school season record 83 shots for an average of 2.67 an outing. In fact, Wilson has recorded at least two blocks in 24-of-32 games and at least one block in every game but two (Colorado & Oklahoma) this season with four or more blocks 10 times.
In addition, Wilson ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 19 in NCAA Division I statistics in blocked shots at 2.6 per outing. In total blocks on the season, Wilson sits at No. 15 nationally with 83. Only two freshmen have registered more blocks this season than Wilson, Michigan State's 6-9 Allyssa DeHaan has 138 to rank No. 2 nationally and Xavier's Amber Harris (6-5) sits at No. 3 with 133.
With her five blocks against North Carolina A&T, Wilson cracked BU's single season top 10. Wilson recorded two blocks against Texas A&M on Feb. 25 to break Carol Reeves Brandenburg's 27-year-old single season blocks record of 76. Wilson now has 83 in her rookie season.
At Oklahoma, Wilson blocked four shots to move her up to No. 9 on BU's career top 10, surpassing Danielle Crockrom's 80. The rookie currently ranks No. 4 on the Big 12's single season blocks list, just seven behind Crystal Boles' (Texas Tech 1997) 90.
BAYLOR QUICK HITS...
- All seven of Baylor's losses have come against ranked opponents (Purdue, Oklahoma three times, Texas A&M twice, Nebraska).
- For the second straight season, Baylor has cracked the 100,000 barrier and set a single-season total attendance record. Last year the Lady Bears drew 100,316 fans and they finished the 2006-07 campaign with 119,603.
- The Lady Bears broke the all-time Ferrell Center total attendance record (men's or women's) of 109,494 set in 2001-02 with 119,603 this season.
- Baylor ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division I statistics in blocked shots at 7.3 a game (through games of March 11).
- In its seven losses this season, Baylor is 26-of-93 (.280) from 3-point range compared to .371 (101-272) percent beyond the arc in its 25 wins.
- Since her arrival at Baylor, Kim Mulkey has posted the most victories (182) and the best winning percentage (.778) among Big 12 coaches.
- Senior All-America candidate Bernice Mosby averages 20.5 points and 10.3 rebounds a game versus ranked teams this season. The Lady Bears have played 11 ranked opponents.
- With 235 blocks registered so far this season, if the Lady Bears continue their current pace of 7.6 blocks a game, they have a chance to break the NCAA single-season block record of 250 set in 1995 by Connecticut. BU needs just 16 more to break the record.
- Angela Tisdale's seven treys versus Iowa State rank as the Big 12's best single-game mark this season and second-best in Lady Bear history all-time.
- Since Feb. 7, Baylor has risen from No. 12 in the league in 3-point percentage defense to No. 7. In the nine games since then (Texas Tech, ISU, OSU, Texas, Colorado, Texas A&M, OU twice, Kansas), Baylor has limited its opponents to 34-of-126 (.270) from beyond the arc, improving its 3-point percentage defense from .324 to the present .318.
- Four Lady Bears have posted double-doubles this season: Bernice Mosby (13 - UNT, Hofstra, Purdue, LSU, SEMO, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Colorado), Rachel Allison (2, UAPB, Oklahoma State), Danielle Wilson (2 - LSU & NCAT) and Angela Tisdale (SDSU).
- Two freshmen, Danielle Wilson (83) and Bradley (25), have combined for just under half of Baylor's blocked shots, 108-of-233. Senior Bernice Mosby has added 46 as well while Jessica Morrow tallied 27 and Rachel Allison has 23.
- Danielle Wilson, a Big 12 All-Rookie Team selection, ranks No. 19 nationally in blocked shots (83) and is No. 1 on Baylor's single season top 10, recently passing Carol Reeves Brandenburg's 76 during the 1979-80 season.
- Wilson now ranks No. 9 on Baylor's career top 10 in blocked shots with 83.
- Tisdale ranks No. 6 on Baylor's career charts in assists (375) and No. 7 in treys made (98).
- With her two blocks against Kansas on March 7, Wilson's 83 blocks ranks No. 4 on the Big 12 single season list. Texas Tech's Crystal Boles (1997) sits at No. 3 with 90.
- Baylor is 143-12 (.923) under Mulkey when scoring 70 or more points, including 87-3 (.967) when putting 80 or more on the scoreboard. In 2006-07, the Lady Bears are 20-0 when scoring 70 or more points, 11-0 when topping the 80-point barrier.
- Baylor is 84-17 (.832) since the start of the 2004-05 season with 14 of the 17 setbacks coming at the hands of nationally ranked opponents. Baylor's last 12 losses have come to ranked opponents.
- Five Lady Bears were named to the Fall 2006 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. Joining senior Latoya Wyatt on the list were sophomore Rachel Allison and freshmen Haylee Abbe, Kaitlin Oberg and Danielle Wilson. Abbe posted a 4.00 GPA last semester.
- Rachel Allison and Jessica Morrow were named to the Academic All-Big 12 second-team.
