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Feb. 29, 2008

WACO, Texas -

Complete Release in PDF Format

#8/8 Baylor (24-3, 12-2) vs. #20/18 Texas A&M (21-7, 9-5)

Saturday, March 1 - 1:00 p.m.
Reed Arena (12,000) - College Station, Texas

BAYLOR AND TEXAS A&M
No. 8 Baylor takes its 7-3 road record, including a 5-2 mark in Big 12 away games, to College Station on Saturday, March 1, to take on the 20th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies at 1:00 p.m.

Baylor is 24-3 on the season and a league-leading 12-2 in Big 12 action while the Aggies are 21-7 on the year which includes a 9-5 league mark. With two conference games remaining, Baylor sits atop the Big 12 standings with Kansas State and Oklahoma each one game back at 11-3. A victory in College Station would ensure the Lady Bears of at least a tie for the league title. Baylor's two remaining league games include a road game at No. 20 Texas A&M (March 1) and No. 17 Oklahoma State (March 6) at home.

Saturday's contest will feature two of the league's best defensive teams. In all games this season, Baylor leads the conference in scoring defense (55.0), field goal percentage defense (.347), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.260) and blocked shots (6.15) while the Aggies rank No. 2 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.260) and No. 3 in scoring defense (55.7).

In conference games only, Texas A&M ranks No. 1 in scoring defense (57.3) while Baylor is No. 2 (57.9). In 3-point field goal percentage defense the Lady Bears are No. 1 (.257) and the Aggies sit at No. 2 (.275).

OVER THE AIRWAVES

Television - FSN
Mark Neely (Play-by-play)
Brenda Van Lengen (Color analyst)

Internet Feeds
Webcast: None

Audio: Live audio stream at BaylorBears.com

Radio: KLRK - 92.9 FM - Waco
KVCE - 1160 AM - Dallas

Radio Talent:
Rick May, play-by-play
Lori Fogleman, color analyst

BAYLOR LADY BEARS

IN THE POLLS
8 - Associated Press
8 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches

PROBABLE STARTERS
P-1 Jessika Bradley - So., 6-3 - 4.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg
G-3 Jessica Morrow - Jr., 6-0 - 12.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg
P-14 Rachel Allison - Jr., 6-1 - 13.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg
G-20 Angela Tisdale - Sr., 5-7 - 15.6 ppg, 3.3 apg
G-21 Kelli Griffin - Fr., 5-8 - 2.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg

TOP RESERVES
G-5 Melissa Jones - Fr., 5-10 - 5.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg
P-11 Danielle Wilson - So., 6-3 - 10.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

IN THE POLLS
20 - Associated Press
18 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches

PROBABLE STARTERS
G-3 Takia Starks - Jr., 5-8 - 17.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg
G-10 A'Quonesia Franklin - Sr., 5-3 - 7.6 ppg, 4.9 apg
C-12 La Toya Micheaux - Jr., 6-3 - 3.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg
F-24 Patrice Reado - Sr., 6-0, 8.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
F-55 Danielle Gant - Jr., F, 5-11 - 14.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg

TOP RESERVES
F-21 Morenike Atunrase - Sr., 5-10 - 8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg

HEAD COACH Kim Mulkey
When Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey accepted the position of women's basketball head 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 is the only basketball national title, men's or women's, in the Big 12 Conference's 11-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 207-56 (.787) 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 WNIT finals.

Mulkey's autobiography, "Won't Back Down," hit bookstores on Nov. 1, 2007.

LADY BEAR LEADERS
With 27 games under their belt, the Lady Bears boast four players averaging double-digit scoring. Leading the way is the squad's lone senior, All-Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Angela Tisdale, with 15.6 a contest, while junior Rachel Allison, another All-Big 12 candidate, manages 13.1 points and a team-leading 8.6 rebounds a game. Junior guard/forward Jessica Morrow follows with 12.2 a contest and sophomore post Danielle Wilson comes off the bench to score 10.6 an outing.

In addition to Allison's 8.6 boards, two other players haul down 5.2 or more rebounds an outing. Wilson manages 6.7 a game while freshman Melissa Jones averages 5.2.

TISDALE'S CLUTCH PLAY LEADS TO LADY BEAR SUCCESS
Baylor's lone senior, All-Big 12 Player of the Year candidate, point guard Angela Tisdale has shown that in the clutch, she can get it done. - In Baylor's 59-56 win over No. 13 Texas A&M, Tisdale missed her first 10 3-point attempts, but made her only trey of the day with 38 seconds left to give the Bears a one-point lead in Baylor's 59-56 win.

- On the road against No. 11 Oklahoma, an 84-73 victory, Tisdale scored a career-high 35 points and helped put some distance between the Lady Bears and Sooners when she scored seven points in an 8-1 run midway through the second half. After sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key, she scored a basket in transition off Melissa Jones' steal and then hit two free throws that extended Baylor's lead to 66-59 with 8 minutes remaining.

- In Baylor's one-point win over No. 25 Texas (61-60), Tisdale scored 19 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 19 seconds left.

- On the road at Iowa State, Tisdale, saddled with four fouls, was reinserted into the game at the 9:20 mark and led the Bears to a four-point win. She scored nine of her 14 points during that time frame including a jumper from the top of the key for the winning margin. She also found Rachel Allison for an easy score inside to give Baylor a three-point lead with 1:07 to go.

- Tisdale scored 30 points, including 17 on free throws, to lead No. 8 Baylor to a 76-62 victory over Colorado. In addition, she dished out six assists and committed no turnovers in 40 minutes of play.

BAYLOR ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
The Baylor-Texas A&M game marks the Lady Bears' 10th appearance on national television this season with the Lady Bears posting a 7-2 record in those games.

This marks Baylor's sixth national television broadcast in its last eight games.

Baylor is making it's seventh appearance on Fox Sports Network (FSN) in addition to making single game appearances on ESPN2, ESPNU and CSTV.

ALLISON NAMED TO MIDSEASON NAISMITH TROPHY LIST
Junior Rachel Allison was among 31 players named to the 2008 Naismith Trophy midseason list recently announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The women's list, which includes 31 candidates because of a tie, was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season, and the list was narrowed down from the preseason list of 50 candidates who were announced at the beginning of the season.

A Big 12 Player of the Week selection this season, Allison, a 6-1 forward, averages 13.1 points and a team-leading 8.6 rebounds a game. The Jonesboro, Ark., native ranks among the league leaders in rebounding (2nd), steals (9th) and scoring (17th).

DEFENSE
Superior defense as well as a balanced offense has led Baylor to a 24-3 season mark. The Lady Bears rank among the NCAA's leaders in several defensive categories: No. 6 in blocked shots (6.2), No. 7 field goal percentage defense (.342), No. 16 scoring defense (54.7) and No. 66 steals (10.0).

Among Big 12 defensive categories (all games), the Lady Bears are No. 1 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, blocks and 3-point field goal percentage defense. In league games only, Baylor ranks No. 1 in field goal percentage defense (.368), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.257) and steals (9.50); No. 2 in scoring defense (57.9).

TISDALE JOINS ELITE GROUP
With her 18-point performance against Rice, senior point guard Angela Tisdale became the 24th Lady Bear to score 1,000 career points. She now has 1,268 career points to her credit and ranks No. 17 on Baylor's all-time scoring list.

In addition, she is No. 3 on Baylor's career 3-point list with 152 makes. In Baylor's 84-73 victory at 11th-ranked Oklahoma, Tisdale poured in a career-high 35 points, 15 of which came from 3-point range.

TISDALE CLAIMS TOP SPOT ON BAYLOR ASSIST CHART
With her nine assists against Texas Tech on Feb. 9, Angela Tisdale became Baylor's all-time assists leader. Her 459 career assists surpassed former Lady Bear Chelsea Whitaker's school-record of 457, Tisdale has since extended that mark to 475.

ALLISON'S GOT A NOSE FOR THE BALL
Despite being the shortest of Baylor's posts, 6-1 junior Rachel Allison leads the Lady Bears in rebounding at 8.6 a game and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference statistics. She has hauled down 232 rebounds this season (38.4 percent of which are off the offensive glass), including a career-high tying 14 at Oklahoma State. In addition, she has registered a team-leading 49 steals, 33 assists and 17 blocks on the year.

In six of Baylor's last eight games, Allison has hauled down 10 or more rebounds a game, averaging 10.4 rebounds an outing: Texas (10 & 11), Kansas State (12), Oklahoma State (14), Texas Tech (12), Oklahoma (8), Iowa State (10) and Colorado (7).

BAYLOR'S BLOCK MACHINE
Sophomore post Danielle Wilson now has 153 career blocks and ranks No. 2 on Baylor's career list. She needs just seven rejections to surpass Steffanie Blackmon's (2001-05) mark of 159.

In addition, Wilson owns two of the Big 12's top marks this season in blocks when she rejected nine shots against Oregon and seven at 11th-ranked Oklahoma. In fact, four of Wilson's seven against Oklahoma came in the second half with the Sooners' two-time All-American Courtney Paris as the victim.

She has blocked 67 shots which ranks No. 3 in the conference in block average at 2.6 a game, that mark also ranks her No. 13 nationally. In Baylor's 61-60 homecourt victory over Texas, the Longhorns had a chance at winning the game, but Kathleen Nash's shot with 3.4 seconds left was blocked by Wilson, her only rejection of the game.

Last year in her rookie campaign, Wilson blocked a school-record 86 shots.

BAYLOR QUICK HITS
- In six of the last eight games, Rachel Allison has hauled down 10 or more rebounds in a game, averaging 10.4 rebounds an outing. In the last six games, Allison is averaging a double-double with 12.0 points and 10.6 rebounds.

- Over the past nine games, Jessica Morrow has averaged 14.8 ppg: Nebraska (16), Texas (16 & 19), Kansas State(16), Oklahoma State (24, season high), Texas Tech (8), Oklahoma (20), Iowa State (18) and Colorado (2). In Baylor's three losses this season she has averaged 19.7 ppg.

- The trio of Danielle Wilson (67), Jessika Bradley (33) and Jessica Morrow (31) have combined for 131 of the team's 166 season blocks.

- With its win at Iowa State, the Baylor women's basketball program, in its 34th year, celebrated its 600th victory. In Kim Mulkey's eight seasons, she has produced 34.3 percent (206) of those victories. Under Mulkey, Baylor has posted eight straight 20-win seasons and seven postseason appearances.

- In Baylor's 24 victories this season posts Rachel Allison (13.7), Danielle Wilson (11.1) and Jessika Bradley (5.2) have combined to average 30.0 points a game while in its three losses they have averaged 16.3 points; Allison 8.7, Wilson 6.3 and Bradley 1.3.

- Versus Baylor's eight ranked opponents this season, Angela Tisdale averages 17.5 points a game while Jessica Morrow manages 16.0 a contest.

- Baylor's current 17-game home win streak ranks No. 5 nationally and it has won 58 of its last 62 home games.

- Entering the 2007-08 season, Baylor ranked No. 7 on the NCAA's Winningest Teams During the Last Five Years list with 135 victories. Schools ranking ahead of the Lady Bears are: Duke (159), Tennessee (159), Connecticut (157), LSU (151), North Carolina (149) and Stanford (141).

- Baylor ranks among the top eight in all four RPI rating services: No. 6 in collegerpi.com, No. 7 in both College Basketball News and NCAA and No. 8 in Jeff Sagarin. This ranks No. 1 among Big 12 schools while the Big 12 ranks No. 1 in all RPI listings as a conference.

- The contest at No. 20 Texas A&M on Saturday marks Baylor's ninth game versus a ranked opponent in 2007-08; Baylor is now 6-2 versus ranked teams. It defeated then-No. 12 California (69-56), lost to then-No. 5 Stanford (87-63), downed then-No. 13 Texas A&M (59-56), twice triumphed over 11th/10th-rated Oklahoma (84-73, 79-59), beat 25th-ranked Texas (61-60), defeated #18 Kansas State (63-49) and lost at Oklahoma State (77-67).

- 2007-08 team captains - senior Angela Tisdale and juniors Rachel Allison and Jhasmin Player.

- Baylor ranks in the top 25 in NCAA Division I statistics in seven categories as of games through Feb. 24: No. 5 in home court win streak (16); No. 6 in scoring margin (+18.8) and in blocked shots (6.2); No. 7 in field goal percentage defense (34.2); No. 11 in won-lost percentage (88.5); No. 16 in scoring defense (54.7) and No. 17 in rebounding margin (+7.2).

- Danielle Wilson's 2.7 blocks per game rank her No. 13 nationally.

- BU owns the top game high mark in the league in six categories this season: FG % (.604 vs. N.C. A&T), FT made (42 vs. St. Mary's), FT attempts (58 vs. St. Mary's), rebounds (63 vs. Howard), blocked shots (15 vs. Oregon), turnovers (30 vs. Howard).

- The Lady Bears have shot 44.3 percent or higher in 14 of 27 games this season and have posted a 50.0 percent or higher mark in seven games. - Baylor has shot 50 percent or higher from 3-point range in six games.

- BU is 109-20 (.845) since the start of the 2004-05 season with 17 of the 21 setbacks coming at the hands of nationally ranked opponents. Of Baylor's last 16 losses, 15 have come to ranked opponents.

- Baylor is 159-13 (.924) under Coach Mulkey when scoring 70 or more points, including 96-3 (.970) when putting 80 or more on the scoreboard.

- Baylor is 16-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points, 9-0 when putting 80-plus on the scoreboard.

- Bernice Mosby, who left school early in 2007 to play for the WNBA, received her Baylor degree on Dec. 15. Baylor boasts a 100% graduation rate by Lady Bears who have completed their athletic eligibility at BU since Coach Mulkey's arrival.

- Danielle Wilson has blocked at least one shot in 52 of 60 career games, including 4 or more 18 times and 3 or more on 22 occasions. Wilson's wing span is 82.25 inches, only 5 inches less than Mamadou Diene, the 7-foot center on the Baylor men's team.

- Wilson narrowly missed a triple-double when Baylor defeated Oregon. She hauled down 10 rebounds, rejected a school-record nine shots and scored nine points.

- With her 1,268 points and 475 assists, Angela Tisdale is the fourth player in school history to score more than 1,000 points and dish out at least 400 career assists.

- Jhasmin Players' 13-of-13 effort from the free throw line against Saint Mary's, Danielle Wilson's nine blocks against Oregon and Angela Tisdale's 17 free throws made against Colorado all rank No. 1 in the Big 12.

- Baylor led NCAA Division I last season in blocks per game with 7.2. So far this season the Lady Bears are averaging 6.1 a contest to rank No. 6 nationally.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
The 20th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 21-7 on the season and 9-5 in conference action, enter the contest riding a four-game win streak and winners of eight of their last nine contests. Throughout the four-game stretch they have posted victories over Texas Tech, Iowa State, Texas and Oklahoma State.

Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 502-220 in his 23rd year as a head coach. Prior to his arrival at Texas A&M, Blair spent eight seasons at Stephen F. Austin (210-43) and 10 years at Arkansas (198-120). In his four-plus seasons in College Station, Blair is 94-57. In addition, he spent five years at Louisiana Tech as a graduate assistant and assistant coach, during that time, Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey was a player for the Lady Techsters. Coach Blair is 8-8 versus Baylor throughout his head coaching career, 2-5 while at Texas A&M.

Texas A&M is led in scoring by 5-8 junior guard Takia Starks' 17.3 points. Danielle Gant, a 5-11 junior guard/forward, is the team's second-leading scorer with 14.9 a contest and is the team's top rebounder at 7.4 an outing.

SERIES RECORD
Baylor and Texas A&M will meet for the 75th time when the two teams square off on Saturday afternoon. Baylor leads the series, 40-34, and has won 20 of the last 25. The Lady Bears are 13-17 versus the Aggies in College Station. Head coach Kim Mulkey owns a 14-3 record against Texas A&M with two of those losses coming in College Station. Baylor's most recent victory in College Station came on Feb. 15, 2006, 84-59.