#9 Baylor vs. #11 Nebraska game thread

[Noah121]

I'll start the thread a day early.

Unfortunately, others will have to keep it updated for the first 100 minutes in real time, because I'll be at the Northwestern-Minnesota game, and I don't have a smartphone.

GO BIG RED!

[ChipperF1]

No problem..

I hope alma mater beats the Gophers tomorrow!!!

GO U NU!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigmwc]

Shame. Shame. Shame. GO GOPHERS! :)


Is this game on TV?

[Scamp]

Lady Bears post player knows how to clean up around the basket

A successful basketball team is marked by well-defined roles. Ashley Field’s field of expertise seems to be that of sanitation worker.

No Baylor player cleans up the garbage any better.

For Field, a 6-foot-2 sophomore post, the layup line doesn’t end with the pregame warmups. She is adept at finding a soft spot in the defense and dropping in an easy deuce off a pass from a teammate, or muscling her way to inside position for a point-blank putback. Those skills are a big reason why Field leads the Big 12 in – what else? – field-goal percentage, at 68.8 percent.

“I try to take shots I know I’m going to make,” Field said. “I try not to force anything that I know I can’t do. That’s my job on this team, is being able to finish little chippers around the basket, rebounding, hitting the outside shot. That’s my job, and I’m just excited to be able to do that. ...

“Ashley takes care of business on and off the floor, and she gets along with everybody,” Mulkey said. “She’s not high-maintenance. She’s just a very enjoyable player to coach.”

NOTES: Kim Mulkey’s maternal grandmother, Nora Wiley, died Friday night in Hammond, La. Mulkey will coach the Lady Bears in today’s game against Nebraska, then leave after the game for Louisiana, for Monday’s funeral services. . . . Nebraska is just one of four unbeaten teams left in the nation. The others are No. 1 Connecticut, No. 6 Georgia and No. 17 Wisconsin-Green Bay. . . . The Huskers have 10 upperclassmen on their roster, and have been buoyed by the return of senior forward Kelsey Griffin (19.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg) after a year off with an ankle injury.

http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/content/sports/college/2010/01/17/01172010wacfield.html

[Bball Girl]

From Brenda Van Lengen

News out of Waco. Electricity out in part of town Ferrell Center is in. Starting time up in air..

[Bball Girl]

Big12Conference says power back on..

Power sub-station near Ferrell Center went down, power was out at FC for about 30 minutes. Power restored a few minutes ago.

[Bball Girl]

Dan Hughes doing color...interested to hear him...will he talk about the game or "coach"?

[Jimi]

16-14 BU

Nebraska could not hit anything for a long time but Baylor failed to pull away. That could bite them.

Nice little layup by Griner for the go ahead 16 point.

[Jimi]

24-18 Nebraska at 5:24

Two consecutive treys by Vonnie Turner

[Bball Girl]

NU finding the range....

24-20Huskers

I like Dan Hughes...he's very positive about wbb (and well he should be). He is talking about the game..not about Kim's wardrobe or something

[ChipperF1]

Vonnie Turner started slow, but got it together so did Griffin, but the athleticism gap is evident. Baylor is getting mismatches they want. They just aren't finishing and my lasses have been outhustling them.

The biggest key for my girls, stay active on offense and we have to
gain a little more intensity at the point of attack on defense

[Jimi]

31-26 Nebraska at the half.

Some nice work by both teams but the Bears are not finishing on the opportunities they get.

I agree I like Dan Hughes' work so far.

[ChipperF1]

Halftime --- Nebraska leads 31-26
the key for my lasses has been some clutch shooting, and again tightening up on defense. Vonnie Turner got hot and got her defense moving and Kelsey Griffin has been wearing the Dickies and been blue collar.

For Baylor, Brittany Griner was a problem early, but she was inactive on defense outside of the two blocks. Kelli Griffin was aggressive and she may need to call her own number. Fields impressd me a great deal with the job she did on Montgomery and Griffin. She got dirty and got competitive.

OVERALL OUTLOOK -- The USS Brittany Griner was tough early, but our task force adjusted and regrouped. We have to keep the beat rolling.

[ChipperF1]

Baylor came out of the locker room on fire!!!
Big block by Griner led to transition, plus yet another
misplay by Cory Montgomery who is playing like she should have stayed in bed so far.
Kelsey Griffin BIG CHARGE!!!!!

[Bball Girl]

Why do players in a clog under the basket...jack up shots when they don't have their feet set, their legs ready and the shots are short? To draw the foul or just in desperation...?

[ChipperF1]

Memo to Cory Montgomery and Catheron Redmon Everybody else wearing red is putting up the effort except you two.

[Bball Girl]

It ain't smart to chest butt Griner when you're only 5'8":D

[Bball Girl]

Great double team by Nebraska...

Kim may want the physicalness removed from the game, then Baylor needs to look to themselves first. That's absurd...she can dish it, but she can't take it.

[Bball Girl]

How the heck can you call a travelling call on Baylor when she's falling down..I hate those kind of travelling calls. That looked like a tie ball to me, not a travel.

[Jimi]

Boooooooring game. ;)

[ChipperF1]

Did Catheryn Redmon place a bet on Baylor. She is reminding me of Griechaly Cepero right now :(

At least Montgomery will try.

My lasses are going brass knuckles on a tough team. This game has been intense. I love it!!!!!

[ChipperF1]

Montgomery has stepped up the last two possessions #40 can't defend on-ball very well but she is giving a Chuck Toger's style effort the last 3 minutes

[ChipperF1]

Nose-to-nose Griner vs Griffin Griner wins with the bucket and the foul :(

[Bball Girl]

Griffin plays so hard, but she takes some dumb shots...sorry.

[Bball Girl]

I like Griner's footwork..

[ChipperF1]

Kelli Griffin wins the first step on Turner outside Griner wins down low on Griffin inside 50-48 Baylor

We lost a lot of the matchups the last minute

[Jimi]

Nose-to-nose Griner vs Griffin Griner wins with the bucket and the foul :(
It looked like Griner got in Griffin's head a little bit but she is fighting back.

[Jimi]

Nice drive move Turner to draw the foul, and hit them.

[ChipperF1]

Way to battle Cory!!!!!!
#40 battle on that rebound!!!!

[Bball Girl]

NU's ball movement is great right now...

[Noah121]

Finally, I'm back from the Northwestern/Minnesota game that the 'Cats won, 61-60.

Evidently I came at a good time as it's 54-50 for the Big Red!

[Noah121]

YES!! Kelsey Griffin makes a great drive to the basket to give the Huskers a 7-point lead! About 5 minutes left.

[ChipperF1]

Kelsey Griffin drove the bus. Griner's taken to school!!!!

Naughty, naughty Kelsey that lazy pass Condrey for two

[Noah121]

Kelsey Griffin gets a steal, but gets hounded, for a held ball. Time out on the floor, and the Huskers still lead by 5 with under 4 minutes left.

[Jimi]

Oh! griner got away with a foul on that steal. But I missed it in real time too.

[ChipperF1]

Griner and Griffin hitting the floor for a loose ball!!!
For all the people who say women's basketball "below UConn is boring"
You needed to watch this game in Waco

[Bball Girl]

Oh! griner got away with a foul on that steal. But I missed it in real time too.

Connie didn't throw her jacket :D

[Bball Girl]

Redman shortchanged that shot...get your legs under you girl!

[ChipperF1]

Dan Hughes talks about the game! What a neat little concept!

[Noah121]

There's a whistle... Huskers timeout with 2:40-ish left. It's 59-54, still!

Game reset: Both teams have 2 timeouts left. Nebraska has 10 fouls, Baylor has 8 fouls, arrow to Nebraska.

[ChipperF1]

Redmon is not a gods offensive player she misses pretty often.

[Noah121]

Huskers trying to milk the clock...
And the play is a Kelsey Griffin second-chance make!! Huskers lead by 7! Kelsey Griffin then takes a charge!! Three possession game, and only about 100 seconds left!

[Bball Girl]

I"m getting more excited about this game than I did the Tech/Texas game yesterday and that's saying A LOT :D:D

[ChipperF1]

"If that isn't all-American I don't know what is!!!!"

Kelsey Griffin 13 points 4 charges taken
Cory Montgomery with a gritty charge and 15
Yvonne Turner 5 threes!!!

That was for you, Bear Skin!!!! Turner's sixth nuclear bomb!!!!!

[Bball Girl]

4 charges by Griffin
6 treys by Turner


Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! !


Many, many kudos to Dan Hughes. What a wonderful ambassador for women's basketball.

[Jimi]

65-56 Nebraska win.

Good job Huskers.

[YCN]

The will to win is strong in this one, Skywalker.

Use the force!

[Noah121]

VONNIE'S SIXTH THREE!! Huskers will win it! Final score: 65 to 56! GO BIG RED!!!

[Bobcat4956]

I am just SO impressed with Nebraska and Coach Connie Yori. To go into Baylor and win away like that was very impressive. Baylor's inability to hit the outside shot was huge. Congrats Cornhuskers!!!

[AngelSong20]

This Nebraska team is solid, fun to watch. I think they would give a good game to just about anyone except UConn, including Tennessee, ND, and Stanford from what I've seen so far.

[ISU 40]

This was a great game to watch! LOVE the Big 12!

[Noah121]

Wish I could have heard the whole game, but at least I heard a very competitive game of what I did hear.

[ChipperF1]

16-0. First victory over ranked opponent on the oppsing team's home floor. Vonnie Turner playing the best she played since was the MVP of the BYSA. Kelsey Griffin showing the phenom what it takes to won. Cory Montgomery girding up and being counted when you needed it. Little Kala Kuhlmann doing her job on the phased double team.

Heart, smarts, skills, cohesion. I am loving this team!!!!!!!!!! Well struck, my lasses!!!!!!!

[Bball Girl]

Chipper you said Baylor is more athletic...and I would agree but your lasses outworked and outfought Baylor and I'l take that any day.

I loved their grit and steadiness.

[Scamp]

Congratulations, Nebraska!

In her postgame radio interview, Kim sounded philosophical, observing that "we're wild out there." Recalling that at one point she had four freshmen and a sophomore on the floor, she said, "They're gonna be good someday."

[YCN]

It's fun watching the ticker turn for this team, which is starting to approach the realm of all-time program best.

While it lasts, and I have to remind myself that there is no predetermined date for when the magic ends, there may be other milestones ahead for this team, including ones that could take your breath away.

Never give up the dream, Huskers. You've at least put that magic season in your sights, and soon the moon will be on the horizon.

Believe in yourselves and the power of the dream.

[DblT81]

I am just SO impressed with Nebraska and Coach Connie Yori. To go into Baylor and win away like that was very impressive. Baylor's inability to hit the outside shot was huge. Congrats Cornhuskers!!!

Couldn't have said it better.

Congrats Huskers.

[HuskerFan86]

WOW what a win for Nebraska. I wasn't able to watch the second half, and what a great surprise to come home to.

I thought we had a chance after watching the first half. As others have said, Baylor had the edge in athleticism, but when Vonnie Turner is playing that well, Nebraska is VERY hard to beat.

I thought it was really crucial that KG and Cory both stayed out of foul trouble in the first half...that allowed them to play aggressively for the rest of the game.

What a special season this is turning out to be. I can't remember the last time we even stayed within 10 points of a Top 10 away from home, let alone winning.

I'm just so happy for Connie and these seniors, finally getting some recognition for all the work they've done to build this program. Kelsey Griffin is an All-American...even when she's not scoring she does so many other things to help the team.

I've also got to hand it to Kala Kuhlmann and Nicole Neals. I've said in the past that they were wasted scholarships, but they've really proven me wrong this year. They seem to really contribute a lot as far as leadership, team chemistry, and some really good play on the court.

[Big12Bear]

Congrats to the Huskers on a nice road win. You appear to have a bunch of gutsy, veteran leaders - many who happen to be sharpshooters! How many charges did Griffin take? I stopped counting at four!

As for BU, we really need someone to step up and hit outside shots with some kind of consistency. Right now, I'll settle for someone who can nail a midrange jumper. Good thing Jones will be back soon. Her absence is very noticeable right now. This BU team will only get better as the year goes on.

[Bob_Ballew]

Turner was the hero today for NU, not Griffin.

Baylor can't win by letting the perimeter shooters have open looks. NU lit us up because our defense left them wide open. :confused: We need some perimeter scoring desperately.

[Jimi]

Congratulations to Baylor and the Baylor fans. BU put on a first rate show for TV. Both teams represented the B-12 well.

GO :BIG12:

[wildcatfan]

Great game Huskers!

[Gator]

Wowzers! and Congrats to Yori and gang

[Scamp]

Looking at the box score today, I wonder why several Baylor players stayed on the bench. Lindsay Palmer can shoot the three (and was getting time as point guard), Whitney Zachariason could have subbed for the 0-for-5 Morghan Medlock, and Mariah Chandler rebounds very well. Where were they? :confused:

http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-baskbl/stats/2009-2010/bu-nu.html

[ChipperF1]

Vonnie Turner staying with it when the shots weren't falling and playing tough defense, and then POW! Primary weapons impact points hit all targets!
Kelsey Griffin making the adjustment, staying mobile and attacking in force.
Cory Montgomery not connecting early, being pushed around early on...She rears up in the second half, competes and has her usual quiet-but-loud scoring game coupled with the best grit on defense this side of Chuck Rogers.

Dominique Kelley was a lil' scattershot, but aggressive. Lindsey Moore played Kelli Griffin to a stalemate. Tiny Neals was pesky again, and Kala Kuhlmann was the biggest little deterrent for a good deal of the game as a backside help against Griner.

There were points early where things weren't looking good. We seemed intimdated by Griner's tentacles and our long-range strikes weren't hitting their mark. Defensively, their quickness was creating holes.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the first loss.

resiliency (r-zl'yn-s)
The ability to recover quickly from depression or discouragement
Past Nebraska teams would have caved in and quit, even those NCAA tourney teams from a couple of year back.
This entire team adjusted, refocused and retaliated. That is what caught my eye Sunday.

Cory Montgomery got a rejection notice from Brittany Griner in the second half. The next time she gets the ball, she takes another shot and she connects. She bears down on defense. She stays with it.

Kelsey Griffin didn't have a big scoring night. She had to fight through double teams. It was a physical game and Baylor was keying her on her. Two years ago, KG23 might back down, might defer. Sunday, Griffin stays resolute. She stepped in and took charges, rebounded hard, got grimy for points. She didn't have any style points. She put on the Dickies work clothes and boots yesterday and got dirty the way an All-American has to sometimes. Matt Coatney exclaimed after one of those muck-and-grind plays in the second half, "If Griffin isn't an All-American, show me who is!" The man has it right there.

And again, Ms. Turner. Last season, if Vonnie Turner had a start like she had against Baylor Sunday, her whole game would drop off the radar. Not this time. She stayed with it, stayed strong on defense and when she got into her rhythm, she brought the rain. But she didn't pack it in early when the shots weren't falling.

We are not the silky machine Connecticut is. We aren't tradition filled like Tennessee. We don't have Stanford's precision. In terms of raw athleticism within the Top 10, Nebraska is near the back. But in-terms of the blue-collar work, this team may not take a back seat to many. The skills of many has improved here, but that will I saw Sunday is a serious force multiplier. I like the toughness I saw in this ballclub. I'll finally confess it, this team's in the scrum now. Given how close the Big 12 is (notice what OSU and KSU are doing so far, and notice what Oklahoma did to Texas A&M Sunday), grit will count more than glamour.

If nothing else, my vacation trip to the Big 12 tournament may leave me with a big smile and no voice left.

Next Up: Kansas State. And it's one of those Pack The House deals, so pack the house!!!!!

Memo to all the media outlets in Nebraska, especially Omaha media -- They are 16-and-0 and just beat another top 10 team. WHAT MORE DO THEY HAVE TO DO TO GET SOME LOVE?

[UCONN@BIG12]

I watched this game last night with Chipper and BOY WAS IT FUN!!! Close like I expected. I am very excited for my adopted Big 12 team! :NU: They are showing some serious heart! :) And I can't wait to see this years Big 12 Tournament! C U there!!!

[HuskerFan86]

I'm showing up early for the game on Saturday...Devaney better be packed for the No. 7 team in the nation!! Agreed on the need for more media attention...these girls are REALLY playing well and they deserve to be front and center on the Journal Star and World Herald.

Also on the toughness thing, the more I watch the more I think a good portion of it is coming from Lindsey Moore. Her ballhandling and poise are so impressive for a freshman and while she might not be the quickest, she rarely gives up easy shots on defense. She has an air of confidence about her that seems to add a lot to the team persona (toughness, confidence, etc.).

There's a reason Lindsey hasn't lost any of the last 44 basketball games she's played in (high school and college). The seniors and Nique are leading the charge, but Lindsey has been the missing piece IMO. Very happy she'll be around for the next 3 years...

[PlayingTag]

While this was a great step for the Huskers, I think we are still in a wait and see mode.

Kelsey Griffin played a very tough game and did all the intangible things that keep this game in the win column. But we knew she would provide this.

Cory Montgomery was very clutch and showed her mental toughness after getting her shot rejected by Griner-she hit the next one over Griner. But we knew she would provide this.

Kelly was very steady just as we expected her to be.

Yvonne Turner, IMO, is the reason for NU being where we are. Her mental game has finally reached her physical game. If she continues to hit 3's and play with the intensity she has through 17 games, it's possible that we could make a final 4.

Nicole Neals has provided some timely play, but she'll have to do more down the stetch.

Lindsey Moore has provided steady play at the point. She doesn't turn the ball over and her mental game is beyond that of 99% of freshman. She walked into a perfect storm when she signed with NU-she was a piece of the puzzle that was needed and is surrounded by very talented older teammates who can hide, negate, dampen . . . her lack of quickness and defensive liabilities. With that said, IMO, her biggest tests are still to come. I think it is worth noting that to say that she went "head to head" with Griffin boarders on misleading-Griffin played just over half the game and most of those minutes was played with foul trouble, and although that is part of the game, I don't think we can expect all of the PGs she plays to be hand tied by foul problems. Of course, Moore should benefit from this game as much as anyone.

Kala Kuhlman and Catheryn Redmon are playing beyond what I thought they were capable of-a result I suggest of being surrounded by very good teammates.

JMHO, but we should really enjoy the next two months.

[Scamp]

The Waco Trib's humungous slideshow (295 pix!) is worth a look. Especially #19, where Kim's daughter Makenzie is just in the frame, smiling at her mom. :)

http://www.wacotrib.com/photos/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=212216

[Scamp]

The final words on the jacket-throwing come from Kim herself.

Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey was sure her star player had just been fouled on a shot attempt, and so when none of the referees blew their whistle, she blew her lid.

But all her animated, jacket-flinging protest drew her was a quick technical foul in a game Nebraska led just 42-41 with 13:30 to play.

Later, after the Bears had dropped a 65-56 decision, Mulkey offered that “It was a big, big possession — and she was fouled. Go look at the film.”

In the same breath, though, she acknowledged that because of the way she expressed her frustration, “I should have gotten thrown out, if you want to know the truth.”

http://www.huskerextra.com/articles/2010/01/23/womens_basketball/doc4b5a499e52176539507792.txt?orss=1