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Lady Bears Open Hoops Season on Friday
Nov. 13, 2008
WACO, Texas - Complete Release in PDF Format
#19/17 Baylor (0-0) vs. Ferrell Center - Waco, Texas OVER THE AIRWAVES Webcast: Radio: Radio Talent: Live Stats: BAYLOR LADY BEARS IN THE POLLS PROBABLE STARTERS TOP RESERVES 21-Kelli Griffin-So., G, 5-8 - 2.8 ppg, 1.8 ppg* * 2007-08 statistics BAYLOR OPENS 2008-09 SEASON The matchup against the Florida Atlantic Owls will be the season opener for both squads and will be the first meeting between the two schools. The Owls, under the direction of Chancellor Dugan, return five starters off last season's 6-22 squad. The Stanford Cardinal, led by head coach Tara VanDerveer, return four starters off last season's NCAA Tournament runner-up squad which finished the year at 35-4. Stanford hosts Minnesota in its season opener on Friday, Nov. 14, prior to traveling to Waco. FORMER LADY BEAR Sophia Young TO BE HONORED SUNDAY HOLD ON TO TEXAS A&M TICKET STUBS HEAD COACH Kim Mulkey The 2005 national title was Baylor's first for a women's team sport and the first basketball national title, men's or women's, in the Big 12 Conference's 12-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 26.1 wins a season. In her eight years at the program's helm, she has posted an impressive 208-60 (.776) record which ranks her No. 8 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 eight postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the WNIT finals. Mulkey's autobiography, "Won't Back Down", hit bookstores on Nov. 1, 2007, the paperback edition became available on Sept. 8, 2008. BAYLOR IN SEASON OPENERS 2000-01 - Defeated Miami (Ohio), 75-62, at Boston (Boston University Invitational) In home openers at the Ferrell Center, Baylor is 17-3 (since Nov. 25, 1988). In fact, Baylor has won 15 consecutive home openers beginning with the 1993-94 season. Baylor has opened its season in the Ferrell Center seven times and is 6-1 in those games. 1988 - Lost to Southwest Texas, 88-76, Nov. 25. THE LADY BEAR RETURNEES Experience will not be an issue for the returnees as every player started in at least six games a year ago. Leading Baylor's charge this season will be Allison, a 2008 first-team All-Big 12 and All-Defensive selection, as well as an AP All-America honorable mention last season. The 6-1 post averaged 13.1 points, which ranked second on the team, and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds as a junior. In addition, she led the squad in steals with 51 and blocked 23 shots. Player, a 5-10 guard, saw her season cut short last year when, 21 games into the season, she was felled by a torn ACL. She underwent reconstructive surgery in March and was given medical clearance in late August to play this season. Prior to her injury, Player averaged 12.2 points and 6.0 rebounds a game and had started in every contest, helping Baylor to a 20-1 overall record and an 8-0 Big 12 mark. Morrow, a 6-0 guard/forward, was one of five Lady Bears to average double-digit scoring last season. After scoring 11.7 points an outing as a junior, she enters her senior campaign with 919 career points. Morrow's athleticism enabled her to register 35 blocks and 34 steals in 2007-08. Wilson, Baylor's tallest player at 6-3, has established herself as one of the nation's premier shot blockers. In just two seasons, she has rejected 166 shots, becoming Baylor's all-time shot blocker. As a sophomore, Wilson averaged 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, and she will be looked upon to anchor the middle for the Lady Bears this season. Baylor's two sophomores, Griffin and Jones, saw plenty of action as rookies, as both players played in all 32 games. In fact, Griffin, a 5-7 point guard, started eight contests and Jones, a 5-10 guard, got the starting nod in six games. Jones proved to be the more consistent of the two, averaging 5.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a game while Griffin scored 2.8 a game and collected 47 assists. In addition, Jones' hustle and nose for the ball resulted in 35 steals and 15 blocks. BEVY OF NEWCOMERS Baylor's two new staffers are no strangers to Kim Mulkey who. She is reunited with her former boss and coach at Louisiana Tech, the legendary Leon Barmore, who signed on as an assistant coach, and a former Lady Bear graduate assistant Rekha Patterson, who was hired as coordinator of basketball operations. With the addition of Barmore, Baylor becomes one of just three women's programs, joining Tennessee and Rutgers, with at least two Women's Basketball Hall of Fame members on its staff. Mulkey was enshrined in 2000 while Barmore entered the Hall in 2003. In addition, Barmore was a 2003 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Baylor's six newcomers include four freshmen and two transfers. Junior Morghan Medlock (Pasadena, Calif.) will have two years of eligibility left after transferring to Baylor from USC. Whitney Zachariason (Little Rock, Ark.), a transfer from the University of Arkansas, will become eligible to play at the conclusion of the fall semester (first game will be Dec. 20 vs. Oregon) after sitting out in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. Freshman include Terran Condrey (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula HS), Ashley Field (Burnet, Texas/Faith Academy), Lindsay Palmer (Tulsa, Okla./Union HS) and Cherrish Wallace (Pasadena, Calif./John Muir HS). All newcomers attended Baylor summer sessions and participated in the Lady Bears' strength and conditioning program. BAYLOR IN THE RANKINGS In the USA Today ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches preseason poll, the Lady Bears are ranked No. 17 nationally. CAPTAINS PRESEASON HONORS HALL OF FAME COACHES MULKEY VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS Since a 69-55 loss to No. 15 Texas during the 2004-05 season, Baylor is 24-17 versus ranked opponents. HOME SWEET HOME The Lady Bears were 17-1 at home in 2007-08 and have won 58 of their last 63 home games. 2000-01 - 12-2 SERIES RECORDS Sunday's contest marks the Lady Bears' third meeting with the Stanford Cardinal. The series is tied 1-1 with Baylor winning, 63-59, on Dec. 2, 1983, in Las Vegas and the Cardinal posting an 87-63 victory last season at Stanford. The Lady Bears are 15-9 against Pacific-10 opponents and will match up twice more this season against the conference with road games at Oregon (Dec. 20) and California (Dec. 22). SCOUTING THE OPPONENT Stanford - The second-ranked Stanford Cardinal, led by head coach Tara VanDerveer, return four starters from last season's NCAA Tournament runner-up squad which finished the year at 35-4. Stanford hosts Minnesota in its season opener on Friday, Nov. 14, prior to traveling to Waco. Jayne Appel (junior, 6-3, forward/center) and Kayla Pederson (sophomore, 6-4, forward) averaged 15.0 and 12.6 points, respectively for the Cardinal in 2007-08. In addition, they were the squad's top rebounders with Appel averaging 8.8 a game and Pedersen hauling in 8.4 an outing. THE COACHES The 2008-09 season marks Tara VanDerveer's 23rd season at Stanford and 30th overall. She is 572-137 with the Cardinal and 724-188 all time. ACROSS THE NATION Danielle Wilson hails from New York while Morghan Medlock and Cherrish Wallace call California home. Arkansas boasts Rachel Allison while Melissa Jones is from Colorado, Terran Condrey is from Alabama and Lindsay Palmer hails from Oklahoma. Ashley Field, Kelli Griffin, Jessica Morrow and Jhasmin Player are all from Texas.
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