March 14, 2009

Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Central | Watch Postgame Press Conference

 

GAME CENTER: GAME 34 (PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE GAME)
NO. 9 BAYLOR BEARS (20-13) VS. NO. 3 MISSOURI TIGERS (27-6)
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tip-off: 5 p.m. CT
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Arena: Ford Center (18,878)
Television: ESPN
Talent: Ron Franklin (pxp), Fran Fraschilla (color), Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)
Radio: Baylor ISP Sports Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660 AM/Sirius Satellite Ch. 161)
Talent: John Morris (pxp), Pat Nunley (color)
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com and Big12Sports.com
Web Stream: ESPN360.com and BaylorBears.com (live audio)

PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE GAME STORY LINES
• After winning three games in three days, the No. 9 seed Baylor Bears take aim at their first men's basketball Big 12 title when they face the No. 3 seed Missouri Tigers in the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title game Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
• With Missouri advancing to the title game, Baylor is a combined 0-5 vs. its Big 12 Championship competition in the regular season (Nebraska 0-1, Kansas 0-1, Texas 0-2, Missouri 0-1).
• Saturday will be Baylor's first appearance in a Big 12 Championship title game (Baylor was 0-1 in its only other semifinal game).
• It will be Baylor's third conference tournament championship game appearance in school history; the Bears made back-to-back appearances in the 1987 and 1988 Southwest Conference championship games (Baylor lost 71-46 to Texas A&M in 1987 and 75-64 to SMU in 1988).
• LaceDarius Dunn is averaging a team-best 19.3 points in 2009 Big 12 Championship.
• Friday's 76-70 win over Texas snapped Baylor's 24-game losing streak to the Longhorns. It was Baylor's first win over their long-time in-state rival since Feb. 21, 1998 in Waco (Baylor's longest active losing streak to an opponent is 30 vs. Oklahoma).
• Friday's win was Baylor's 20th this season - the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons (Baylor's fifth 20-win season).
• Baylor is now 4-1 all-time in the Ford Center (1-1 in 2007 Big 12 Championship).
• Baylor is 8-11 all-time in the Big 12 Championship.
• Baylor is 16-29 all-time in postseason conference tournaments (8-18 in the Southwest Conference Tournament).
• Baylor's three Big 12 Championship wins are the most by a Bears team in a conference tournament.
• LaceDarius Dunn now has hit a career-high 90 3-point field goals in his sophomore season - the third-highest single-season total in school history.
• Baylor has made at least one 3-point field goal in 545 straight games - the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 behind Texas. Baylor has connected from 3-point range at least once in every game since going 0-for-8 in a home win vs. Texas Tech on Feb. 21, 1990.
• Curtis Jerrells is now in third place on Baylor's career scoring list with 1,714 career points, passing Brian Skinner (1,702).
• Baylor has never made back-to-back NCAA tournaments in the program's 103-season history. Baylor has made back-to-back postseason tournaments only one - 1987 NIT and 1988 NCAA.
• Baylor is 25-31 (.446) vs. Big 12 North schools over the last nine seasons.

BAYLOR/MISSOURI SERIES
Overall Series Record vs. Missouri: Missouri leads 11-9
Series Record in Big 12 Championship: Baylor leads 1-0
Series Meetings: Jan. 31 (Missouri won 89-72)
Streak: Missouri, 1 win
Drew vs. Missouri: 3-4 overall