Unbeaten Nebraska takes on Griner and the Baylor Lady Bears

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No. 9 Baylor Lady Bears vs. No. 11 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Sunday, January 17, 2010
2:30 p.m. CT
Ferrell Center – Waco, Texas
Television: FOX Sports Network
Radio: Baylor ISP Sports Network, KRZI/ESPN- 1660 AM (Waco), BaylorBears.com, Husker Sports Network (98.1 FM-KFGE-Lincoln, 93.3 FM-KTWI Omaha, 880 AM-KRVN Lexington)
Audio Web Stream: BaylorBears.com, Huskers.com
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com

Baylor
2009-10 Record: 14-2, 1-1
Ranking (AP/ESPN): 9/9
Last Game: W, 57-47,  #13 Oklahoma
Head Coach: Kim Mulkey, Baylor/Career Record: 251-68 (10th season)
Record at BU: same
Mulkey vs. NU: 7-2

Nebraska
2009-10 Record: 15-0, 2-0
Ranking (AP/ESPN): 11/9
Last Game: W, 91-79, #19 Texas
Head Coach: Connie Yori, Career Record: 331-237 (20th season)
Record at NU: 136-97 (8th season)
NU vs. Baylor: BU leads 9-5

Last meeting: BU, 76-71 (2009, in Lincoln)

Nebraska comes into Waco on a 15-game winning streak, 2-0 in Big 12 action. NU is one of three unbeaten teams left, joining Connecticut and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

The Cornhuskers opened Big 12 play with back-to-back wins over Iowa State (57-49) at Ames and No. 19 Texas (91-79) in Lincoln. They have four players scoring in double digits.

Senior forward Kelsey Griffin, the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double, leads the team in both scoring and rebounding at 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds a contest. She is followed by senior forward Cory Montgomery’s 12.8 points while junior guard Dominique Kelley manages 12.0 a game and senior guard Yvonne Turner scores 11.0 per contest.

Baylor has a 14-game home win streak. Three Lady Bears are averaging double-digit scoring. Freshman post Brittney Griner leads the team with 18.9 points a game while senior Morghan Medlock and junior guard Melissa Jones each average 11.6.

Griner blocks more shots per game than 325 of the 332 NCAA Division I schools and only 11 teams beside Baylor have blocked more shots than the freshman phenom. She ranks No. 2 nationally in blocks and needs 21 to break Courtney Paris’ Big 12 single-season record of 119 set during the Sooners’ 36-game 2005-06 campaign.

Wooden candidates

Griner and NU’s Griffin both earned spots on the list of 21 candidates for the Women’s Wooden Award, presented to the nation’s top player, when the award’s midseason list was announced on Wednesday.

“It is great to be mentioned among the top players in the nation,” Griffin said. “What it really shows though is how hard my teammates and coaches have worked to help me become a better player during my time at Nebraska. Our team is having a great season so far, and we are going to keep working hard everyday in practice to make sure that continues.”

On Nebraska…

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey on Nebraska’s experience:

“They’re more comfortable with each other. When you become a senior and junior, you know the plays and you’re not thinking or trying to impress the coach….They know what’s expected.”

Texas coach Gail Goestenkors on Nebraska’s defeat of LSU:

“That’s an attention-getter. Everybody knows LSU’s been to the Final Four so many years. [Nebraska] already had the coaches’ attention, but those wins made the players understand how good they really are.”

Nebraska coach Connie Yori on senior forward Griffin:

” Kelsey Griffin is one of the top players in the nation, and she has been throughout her career. This season, she is finally able to show the full extent of her abilities because she is healthy for the first time in her career.

Jones update

Baylor guard Melissa Jones’ status is game-to-game. She suffers from a stress reactor in her right leg which is a precursor to a stress fracture. She did not play in the Lady Bears’  league opener, a 78-65 loss at No. 23 Oklahoma State, or the 57-47 win over No. 13 Oklahoma.

Mulkey to attend funeral for her grandmother

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Kim Mulkey’s maternal grandmother, Nora Wiley, died Friday night in Mulkey’s hometown of Hammond, La.  Mulkey will coach the game against Nebraska then leave afterwards to attend Monday’s funeral services.

Related:

• Wooden Award midseason watch list announced
• Unbeaten streaks and shocking upsets: Big 12 openers roundup

Around the Web

• Top players will be shining in Baylor game (Husker Extra)
• Lady Bears post player knows how to clean up around the basket (Waco Tribune-Herald)
• Yori sees pros, cons to NU being on TV (Husker Extra)
• Unbeaten Nebraska and its star are turning heads (AP)
• Nebraska looks to take down Baylor on Sunday (ESPN)
• Nebraska’s Griffin back better than ever after injuries (Waco Tribune-Herald)
• No. 11 Huskers Remain Undefeated (Scout.com)
• No. 11 NU women thriving outside of spotlight (Grand Island Independent)