Email This Story

Lady Bears advance to Elite Eight

March 27, 2005

by CATHERINE BROWN, sports editor

TEMPE, Ariz.--After battling all night with the physical and aggressive defense of the University of Minnesota, the No. 5 Baylor Lady Bears came out on top beating the Gophers 64-57 to advance to the Elite Eight Monday night.

The Elite Eight appearance is the first in school history.

"It's a great opportunity to get to the Elite Eight," junior forward Sophia Young said. "It's something that Baylor's never done, and we're just trying to make history."

In the start of the second half, Minnesota and Baylor traded baskets and the lead until freshman guard Angela Tisdale made a 3-pointer to regain the lead for the rest of the game.

Head Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson said Tisdale and sophomore guard Latoya Wyatt were her MVPs of the game.

"Chameka [Scott] and Chelsea [Whitaker] struggled tonight. I thought Angela and Latoya's energy, defensive presence and play was big for us," she said. "To think that this was their first year playing in our program in a game of this magnitude, I thought their play was big for us."

Tisdale and Wyatt combined for eight points, including Baylor's only two 3-pointers of the game.

Baylor was led by Young's 26 points, 14 in the second half, and seven rebounds. She outscored Minnesota's post players Janel McCarville and Jamie Broback who combined for 20 points in the game.

Head Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson said Young is an All-American and a great player.

"A lot of things she does a lot of other players can't," she said. "She can elevate in your face and shoot right over you. Not a lot of players can do that. A lot of her shots were right in the other player's face. She just elevated and made the shot. She doesn't have the body to get in there and bang with you. But she was sure giving every effort she could with those big girls."

Minnesota head Coach Pam Borton said Young shoots over players and is "tough to defend unless you have some length."

Baylor's defense held McCarville to 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Broback was taken out of her game only scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds.

The pressure came from Young, senior post Steffanie Blackmon, sophomore forward Abiola Wabara and sophomore forward Emily Niemann.

"We watched a lot of tape and tried to get familiar with her moves -- her spin moves," Blackmon said. "I thought we did a good job of not letting her get spin moves up high, but she got a few down low."

In the final 17 seconds of a very physical game, Wabara and Broback were whistled for double technical fouls after Wabara grabbed a rebound and a Minnesota player pushed her.

"When it's physical and they let you play like that things like that that happened at the end of the game are unfortunate," Mulkey said. "I can say that because we won. I'm not coming in her with sour grapes because it got physical. That game was entirely too physical. Kids get hurt in games like that."

In the first half, the Lady Bears came out ready for the Gophers jumping out to an early 10-point lead the first 10 minutes of the game and leading almost 39 minutes of the game.

Baylor's tough defense kept Minnesota from scoring the first five minutes of the game, forcing three turnovers and six missed shots.

Minnesota finally settled down into its offensive flow the final 10 minutes of the first half, chiseling away at Baylor's lead by making five consecutive 3-pointers to cut the lead to three at the half down three points, 34-31.

Mulkey said runs are expected in playoff games and teams aren't going to go away.

"This team never seems to panic or get frustrated," she said. "We have been down by bigger margins with less time on the clock. It wasn't anything magical. I wish I had the magical words to turn it around, but I didn't. We just had seniors and All-Americans on that floor. This team just refuses to lose and they wanted to get to the Elite Eight."

All eight Baylor players that touched the floor scored, and Blackmon scored in double figures for the 29th time this season. She also grabbed six rebounds and had two steals.

Wabara finished with nine points, seven rebounds, two steals and one block.

Borton said Baylor was the better team tonight.

"I thought our team played well tonight, but we didn't play great. At this point in the tournament you have to play great to advance, and Baylor played great."

More News ...