No. 2/2 Baylor WBB Heads to Stillwater for Saturday Matchup with Oklahoma State [BU Notes Attached]

Fri Feb 14 15:45:22 CST 2020

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#2/1 BAYLOR LADY BEARS (22-1, 11-0)
Location: Waco, Texas
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey<https://baylorbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1464> (La. Tech, 1984)

Roster<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?path=wbball> | Stats<https://baylorbears.com/cumestats.aspx?path=wbball> | Game Notes<https://baylorbears.com/documents/2020/2/14/BU_WBB_Game_Notes_OSU_2_15_20.pdf?id=15441>
#2/1 BAYLOR (22-1, 11-0) at OKLAHOMA STATE (10-10, 4-5)
February 15, 2020 | 7 PM
Stillwater, Okla. | Iba Gallagher (13,611)

[Big 12 Now ESPN+]LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast<https://okstate.statbroadcast.com> RADIO: 1660 AM/92.3 FM
WATCH: ESPN App<https://www.espn.com/watch/catalog/0ce3542e-d057-4001-80aa-1d9649289920>
Talent: Mike Wolfe (PBP), Bryndon Manzer (Color), Jessica Morrey (Sideline)
LISTEN: Tune In<https://listen.tunein.com/baylorwbbschedule>
Talent: Bruce Gietzen (PBP), Maggie Davis-Stinnett (Color)

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OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS (14-10, 5-7)
Location: Stillwater, Okla.
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Jim Littell

Roster<https://okstate.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster> | Stats<https://okstate.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster?path=wbball> | Game Notes

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MULKEY GOES 20 FOR 20; HONING IN ON THE FASTEST COACH (MAN OR WOMAN) TO REACH 600 VICTORIES
Baylor's win vs. Kansas Feb. 4 in Waco gave the Lady Bears 20 wins. Head Coach Kim Mulkey<https://baylorbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1464> is in her 20th season at the helm, and Baylor has won at least 20 games in all 20 seasons.
In addition, Mulkey's career record moved to 598-100 with the win over the TCU Wednesday. If she can get to 600 before she coaches in her 704th game, she will be the fastest coach in NCAA Division I history, man or woman, to reach the milestone. Baylor would need to win two out of its next five games to help Mulkey accomplish the feat. She would get to 600 faster than names including Adolph Rupp, Geno Auriemma, Pat Summit, Roy Williams, John Wooden, Dean Smith and John Calipari.

THREE LADY BEARS NAMED FINALISTS FOR WBCA 'STARTING FIVE' AWARDS
Te'a Cooper<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9541>, Lauren Cox<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9530> and Queen Egbo<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9532> have all be selected as finalists in their respective positions for the Naismith Hall of Fame/WBCA Starting Five Awards. Cooper was named a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award that honors the nation's top point guard Monday, for the third-straight year Cox was named a finalist for the Katrina McClain Award for nation's top power forward Thursday, and Egbo earned a spot on Friday's Lisa Leslie Award top 10 for the nation's top center.
All three awards named 10 finalists this week and will narrow the list to the "Final Five" in March.

BIG 12 STREAKS ON THE LINE FOR THE LADY BEARS IN STILLWATER
As Baylor's overall win streak reaches 15, and with just two losses in the last two seasons, the Lady Bears are constantly chasing streaks as the success continues. Baylor is in the midst of two conference streaks with the Lady Bears looking to run the table for a third-straight year in 2020. Wednesday's win over TCU at home was the 52nd consecutive regular season win over a Big 12 opponent. That regular-season conference win streak is tied for the 7th best streak in NCAA history.
The Lady Bears will also look to extend their Big 12 and school record 41-game conference win streak on the road in the regular season Saturday. OSU could look to be spoiler as the streak started after the Cowgirls beat Baylor in Stillwater, Dec. 30, 2015. Since then Baylor has rattled of 41-straight wins on the road in the regular season vs. Big 12 opponents; that's the third-longest streak of its kind in NCAA history and the second-best active streak behind UConn in the AAC.

NCAA SELECTION COMMITTEE PUTS LADY BEARS AS NO. 2 OVERALL SEED, NO. 1 IN DALLAS REGIONAL
Feb. 3, at halftime of the UConn vs. Oregon game on ESPN2, the NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Committee had its first reveal of the Top-16 teams. The committee picked South Carolina as the No. 1 overall seed and Baylor as the No. 2 overall seed. Joining SC and BU as No. 1 seeds were Louisville and Oregon with South Carolina headed to the Greenville regional, Baylor to the Dallas regional, Oregon to the Portland regional and Louisville to the Fort Wayne Regional.
South Carolina lost to No. 17 Indiana for its only loss of the season
Nov. 29 while Baylor's only loss came to the No. 5-ranked Gamecocks Nov. 30 without Lauren Cox<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9530>.
The committee will reveal its updated Top 16 March 2 at halftime of the South Florida vs. UConn game on ESPN2, which tips at 7 p.m. ET. Then, the NCAA Committee will have the entire bracket on the ESPN Selection Show at 7 p.m. ET, March 16.

50/50 – BAYLOR'S MAGIC NUMBER OFFENSIVELY & DEFENSIVELY
Kim Mulkey<https://baylorbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1464> coached teams at Baylor 233-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, while just 16 times in 19-plus seasons has an opponent shot 50 percent or better against the Lady Bears defense. Baylor's only loss when shooting 50 percent or better came vs. Mississippi State in the 2017 Elite 8.

COX NABS THREE MORE LATE-SEASON HONORS; SMITH JOINS HER ON NAISMITH MIDSEASON TEAM
Lauren Cox<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9530> was named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, named to the late-season watch list for the John Wooden Award, and the midseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy along with sophomore NaLyssa Smith<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9537>. The Senior CLASS Award narrowed its list of candidates to 10 women's players who exemplify excellence in competition, in the classroom, and in the community. The Wooden Award honors the top player in college basketball, and Cox was the only Big 12 representative out of 20 players. Smith & Cox are on the Naismith midseason watch list, which consists of 20 players, including Iowa State guard Ashley Joens.

COX & RICHARDS NAMED AS 15 FINALISTS FOR NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Cox<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9530> is the 2-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and DiDi Richards'<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9535> reputation for her on-ball defense earned her First-Team All-Big 12 honors last year. This year, those performances have carried over to national recognition as the pair made the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Team, which includes just 15 players.
Cox has missed time due to injury, but is still averaging 3.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while opponent's offensive scouting reports are scrambled when they face the Cox-led Lady Bears. Richards' steal numbers are up to 2.1 per game, she's added 15 blocks this season and still draws assignments for each opponent's top perimeter player throughout the season.

LADY BEARS RANK NO. 1 IN THE NATION IN SIX STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
The 22-1 Lady Bears rank in the top 10 nationally in 16 categories through games played through Feb. 12. Baylor ranks No. 1 in the nation in six categories: Assists (521), Assists Per Game (22.7), Field Goal Percentage (.506), Field Goal Percentage Defense (.303), Scoring Margin (33.4), and Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (.413).
In addition, Baylor ranks in the top five in 10 additional categories (full list on page 5).
DiDi Richards<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9535> ranks 9th nationally in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.84:1) while also cracking the Top 25 in assists per game at 15th (5.6) and assists at 17th (128). NaLyssa Smith<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9537> and Queen Egbo<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9532> are tied at 11th in the nation and first in the Big 12 with a .601 shooting percentage. Juicy Landrum's<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9533> .461 3-point field goal percentage ranks 6th in the nation and first in the Big 12.

WRAPPING UP A NINE-YEAR RUN OF DOMINANCE FOR BAYLOR'S LADY BEARS
Baylor closed 2019 with a 335-23 record between Jan. 2, 2010 and Dec. 30, 2019 for a .936 winning percentage. Last decade produced two national championships (2012, 2019), three Final Fours (2010, 2012, 2019), 10 Sweet 16s, 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, nine Big 12 regular season championships, and eight Big 12 Tournament titles. It also saw 11 players receive WBCA First-Team All-America honors, seven earned Associated Press All-Americans, eight were named USBWA First-Team All-Americans, Kim Mulkey<https://baylorbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1464> earned seven different National Coach of the Year honors and six Big 12 Coach of the Year awards. Six players were named Big 12 Player of the Year and 22 players earned First-Team All-Big 12.

SCORING IS TOUGH VS. THE LADY BEARS
Baylor ranked tops in the nation in 2018-19 in the following categories: Assists (850), Assists Per Game (22.4), Blocked Shots (274), Blocked Shots Per Game (7.2), Defensive Rebounds Per Game (32.0), Rebound Margin (+17.0), Rebounds (1,790), and won-lost percentage (97.4). But perhaps the most consistent category the Lady Bears led the nation in, was field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a .318 clip. That marked the third-straight year to lead the nation in that category while also ranking in the top five in eight of the last nine years.

___________________________________
Kyle Robarts | Associate Director, Athletics Communications (WBB, WTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3042 | C: 254-405-9492

[cid:image001.png at 01D5070F.1E7C3CA0]<http://baylorbears.com/>
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