A&M @ Baylor

[carolann]

Just checkin with Gametracker.

Melissa Jones is playing! Baylor up 23 to 12. Jones has 9.

[36Cord810]

Watching it online. If A&M is in the top ten in the nation they way they are playing, everything under UConn is pretty week. Aggies are not playing very well. Pretty ugly game at this point. You can watch free at this link http://channelsurfing.net/watch-baylor.html

[36Cord810]

Baylor is playing a zone. That has made them much better on defense tonight. The difference on offense has been Jones.

[wildcatfan]

Not good for my pick, but glad Jones is playing.

[Bball Girl]

From Hoopfeed on Twitter

Texas A&M tried put Kelsey Assarian in the game but she wasn't on official game book, penalized w/tech foul.

Glad to hear Melissa's playing...

[36Cord810]

Jones has 10 or Baylor's 27. A&M is not shooting the ball well from anywhere. Only 25% from the line and 16% from the three point line.

[36Cord810]

At half Baylor only had 3 team fouls.

[AngelSong20]

There's that A&M offense we're used to! I was wondering where it had gone in the first half of the season and the Texas game!

[LadyBuff]

Baylor up 51-43 with 1:33 remaining.

[LadyBuff]

Griner with 20 and Jones with 13.

[36Cord810]

A&M played better in the second half but they were simply not prepared for this game. Kind of a boring game to watch with not much offensive spark until the last part of the second half. Baylor gets back on track a little, but I am kind of wondering right now if the league isn't a bit overrated. Neither of these teams look like world beaters.

[mgood1]

Is it over? Do we have a final score yet?

[AngelSong20]

That's because neither of these teams IS a world beater. The world beaters of the Big 12 were in Lubbock tonight.

[mgood1]

61-53 Baylor.
Final

[36Cord810]

That's because neither of these teams IS a world beater. The world beaters of the Big 12 were in Lubbock tonight.

I think you are right. The game is over and I think Baylor won by 8. BU hit FTs down the stretch and A&M didn't wake up until they had dug too deep a hole. Blair didn't use the same game plan as Mizzou until very late in the game. Wonder why?

[CowgirlsFreak]

Kind of like Oklahoma not deploying the same strategy as OSU... Very confusing.

[BearLady]

The leader is back!

MJ came in about a minute into the game, and she picked up right where she had left off a month ago. Scrapping to get rebounds, chasing down the loose ball, knocking down a shot when needed. She even mopped the floor once! They say she hasn't practiced with the team in a month, but she sure did look in good form. Ended up with a nice double double, 17 points and 10 rebounds.

BU had quite a few points in the paint tonight, unlike some of the recent ones. Griner had 5 big blocks, along with about 20 points.

Medlock played tough on defense, matching up quite a bit on Adams.

Of potential concern, Shanay Washington went down hard in the second half and hit the back of her head on the floor. She started to get up, with BG's help, but then just fell back down on the floor. The trainers worked with her for a few minutes but she was still wobbly when she did get up; they took her on back to the locker room and she did not return to the game.

Coach says she has a concussion.

A&M got serious with putting up 3s late in the game and seems that most went in. But I'm proud of the Lady Bears and their knocking down 10 of 10 free throws down the stretch at less than a minute to go.

Nice job, ladies! Now let's do it again on Sunday in Austin.

[ChipperF1]

Melissamus Prime!!!! She's baaaaaaack!!!!

[breid]

What a scene when Melissa stepped on the floor! The crowd went crazy.......what a tribute to her hustle and grit. It was so cute when she mopped the floor! I wonder if everyone was thinking the same thing I was........she might as well mop the floor she's doing everything else here tonight!

[ChiBears]

First let me say, we almost didn't go to this midweek game as it is difficult to miss work and to make such a quick turnaround trip. We've had this game on our calendar since the start of the season, but almost backed out due to the recent slide of the team and the subsequent "downer" feeling after such a loss. But we discussed among ourselves what it meant to be a "real" fan and decided that sometimes, you just had to go for what you could add to the team, ie loud, supportive atmosphere, and not for what you could get from the team. We wanted to support the young women and the hard work the team and coaches have been putting in. Ummm, sounds like most relationships, uh? If you're going to take, you better give...for better or worse...

Anyway, hauled out of Houston around 3:40 and made it to the Ferrell a little later than we like to get there and boy, was the parking lot packed already! We had to park way out by the Brazos and we've never had to do that before.

I read a couple of commments that the game was boring to watch on the streaming video, and maybe it was, but I thought it was an exciting game to attend. Coach Mulkey was fired up, Blair was coaching hard and the two points were going at each other in a competitive way that familiarity with one another brings. I also thought there was a little underneath "who's got the best game..." going on between Griner and Adams, but that turned out to not materialize so much as the game wore on, as Adams was pretty much held in check.

We had a veteran officiating crew and the fans were into the game. The band was pumped and there was quite the traveling crowd of Aggies there. (BTW, a tip o' the hat to those Ags for coming out in force to support their team. If BU hadn't had the lead most of the game, therefore minimizing what they had to yell about, I imagine they could have been quite vocal...)

Now, to the game. HECK YEAH, Melissa Jones makes a difference! I'm not sure one player SHOULD make that much difference, but perhaps that's a function of being a maturer, more experienced player on a really young, inexperienced team. She was directing traffic, getting her share of offside rebounds and diving after balls. Somehow, her doing that seems to remind and validate for the other players that they can do that also. Condrey, Ashley and Griner all went diving to the floor in search of loose balls.

On offense, Morghan is still struggling. She is getting better position and being a little smarter about when to take the shots, but she still looks like she is putting the ball up and THEN looking at the square, mostly, I think, hoping to get a foul. Quick to the basket, slow with the shot needs to be her mantra.

On the other hand, her defense on Adams was superb! We sit behind one of the baskets and have a pretty good view when the action is on our end. Adams is a stout and strong player who works early and hard for her position and she was really working to displace Morghan. A couple of times, she knocked Morghan backwards off her defensive spot, but MM just hustled back into position and kept battling. She should get a lot of credit for that win, as A&M and Adams, specifically, were held below their offensive average. (I have to believe Morghan was one tired puppy after all the pushing and leaning she was having to do!)

Also, I thought she and Brittney both were much more aggressive on the boards. They seem to be "going after balls" a little more enthusiastically instead of just blocking out and waiting for the rebounds to come to them. I saw numerous times where both went up and snagged two handed rebounds at the top of their jumps and that warms my heart.

Kelli had some really nice reads where she managed to get her defensive player off balance by faking one way and then she was able to drive the lane and pull up for a little jumper. She converted on several but also missed a few, a function, I think, of having played so many minutes full out. I would imagine legs can't help but get tired.

Team did better on not picking up those charges where they just put their heads down and decide about midcourt they're going to drive the lane. I think we had only one charge the whole game and that sure helps. Of course Nae Nae and Jordan didn't play as many minutes this game and they're usually the biggest offenders, but Condrey, Kelli and Shanay were more poised and under control on their drives and it looks like the team might have worked on this in practice.

Thank heavens for the clutch free throw shooting!!! Sincerely!!! But now, can we work on hitting them when it's earlier in the game so we don't have to have such pressure packed conversions at the end of the game...please...?

Brittney's defense is intimidating. Several of her blocks came from behind, after the offensive player essentially had her beaten to the basket. I can only imagine how that feels to not be able to see her but to know she is behind you and has the ability to block your shot. It's got to put just a little hesitation and doubt in the offensive player's mind and just a little doubt can be enough to throw off a shooter's timing. I can remember specifically, one time when the player went in, squatted and jumped up off the ground for a shot and then didn't let it fly because Ms. Griner was there. TRAVELING...

On offense, she is looking more and more comfortable every game with her turn around jumper and that shot is starting to look "smooth as silk." (Is she REALLY only a freshman? All those folks crowing about BU's losses and how she's "not really all that..." better enjoy those posts. I suspect they'll be eating those words next year...)

Shanay was pretty solid, but was really woozy after she hit the floor and I am concerned about her ability to play next game. I know the staff will be careful with her.

Well, nice to get the win and nice to feel happy about the trip. Now, restock the toiletries kit and wash the Griner jersey and Tip-off shirt and get repacked to head to Austin Saturday...

Sic'em.

[36Cord810]

Few seemed to note that the real key to this win, even more than the return of Jones, was Kim switching to a zone. It allowed Griner to stay out of foul trouble and cover the middle areas, while the other players did a much better job covering the outside shooters (BU only had 3 fouls at half). When Baylor would go back to a man, A&M seemed to gain some traction, then a switch back to a match up zone gave Baylor an advantage. Griner is made to clog up a middle of a zone and as much as Kim hates playing zones, I would expect more of it as the season rolls on. Baylor is far better defensive team in a zone.

[bullydawg22]

Not sure were you get baylor played a zone but they didnt. They played a man to man with brittney sagging of her man. I was at the game and didn't see the zone one time.

[36Cord810]

If it was a man, it was a very unique man. On the webcast there were times when defenders held their positions on the court, not followed their man. Griner was guarding a spot, not a person. This had all the marking of a match up zone. A number of us were commenting on as we watched.

[BearLady]

I didn't note a zone either. I do recall seeing Griner guarding a spot at times, although those were generally when her defender had pulled way out front. In those cases I remarked that the A&M post, whether it was Elonu, Buchanan or Assarian at the time, wasn't likely to put up a 3 from out there.

In general, it was Medlock who took on Danielle Adams for most of the game. Coach had specifically commented during pre-game that Griner would not be matching up with Adams. Though there were a few times when she did guard her, as dictated by the play.

In her postgame interview, Coach gave high praise and credit to Bill Brock -- Dr Brock, as she referred to him -- for having come up with the successful strategy for the Lady Bears to follow during last night's game.