What to Watch For: Baylor vs. Tennessee

By Ben York, PhoenixMercury.com
Posted: Dec. 18, 2012

What: The Baylor Bears host the Tennessee Lady Vols

When: December 18, 2012 at 6pm (8pm EST)

TV: ESPN

2012-2013 Background, Baylor

8-1/0-0 Big 12
Preseason Rank: #1/1
2011-12 Record: 40-0
Conf. Rec./Finish: 18-0/1st
Starters Back/Lost: 5/0
Letterwinners Back/Lost: 8/3
Newcomers: 5

2012-2013 Background, Tennessee

7-1/0-0 SEC
Preseason Rank: #20/16
2011-12 Record: 27-9
Conf. Rec./Finish: 12-4/2nd
Starters Back/Lost: 0/5
Letterwinners Back/Lost: 6/5
Newcomers: 5

History

This marks only the seventh meeting between Tennessee and Baylor and the fourth regular-season game between the programs.

The series began on March 28, 2004, when the teams met in the Midwest Regional semifinal in Norman, Okla., and UT escaped with a 71-69 victory.

Tennessee enters the contest with a 2-4 all-time record vs. Baylor.

Baylor has claimed the last four meetings in the series, taking two from Tennessee in 2011-12.

Last year’s BU wins over UT included a 76-67 regular-season triumph in Knoxville on Nov. 27, 2011, and a 77-58 NCAA Elite Eight game victory in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 26, 2012.

Things to Know

Preseason National Player of the Year Brittney Griner, a 6-8 senior post, leads BU in scoring and rebounding with 21.6 points and 7.3 boards per game. Griner produced her second straight double-double with her 22-point/10-rebound performance in Baylor’s 94-56 victory vs. Oral Roberts (ORU). She currently has 2,618 career points and 1,032 career rebounds.

Tennessee enters the contest on a seven-game winning streak after dropping the opener to Chattanooga, 80-71, on Nov. 9.

Holly Warlick faces off vs. a top-five ranked squad for the first time as head coach.

Baylor has strung together six straight victories since falling to Stanford, 71-69, at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu on Nov. 16.

The Lady Vols have defeated four ranked foes this season, including No. 22/20 Georgia Tech (71-54), No. 23/23 Miami (79-67), No. 22/RV North Carolina (102-57) and No. 18/20 Texas (94-75). The UNC game was at home, while the other three were road contests.

Baylor is 2-1 this season vs. ranked foes, defeating No. 6/7 Kentucky (85-51) at home, falling to No. 4/4 Stanford (71-69) in Honolulu at the Rainbow Wahine Classic and beating No. 5/5 Notre Dame on the road (73-61).

Baylor is 2-1 vs. ranked opponents this season and five players are averaging 9.3 or more points per game vs. rated foes: Brittney Griner (24.3), Odyssey Sims (12.3), Destiny Williams (10.7), Jordan Madden (10.0) and Brooklyn Pope (9.3).

Baylor’s 2012-13 roster features six McDonald’s All-Americans. Seniors Brittney Griner and Destiny Williams were honored in 2009, while Brooklyn Pope was a 2008 selection, junior Odyssey Sims was a 2010 recipient and Alexis Prince and Niya Johnson were selected in 2012.

Seniors Brittney Griner, Kimetria Hayden, Jordan Madden and Destiny Williams and redshirt junior Mariah Chandler are on track to graduate this year.

Tennessee has performed well in its four previous games vs. top 25 teams this season.

Not only are the Lady Vols 4-0 vs. Miami, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Texas, they outscored those opponents by an average of 86.5 to 63.2, sporting a scoring margin of +23.3.

UT actually has held ranked opponents to a scoring average (63.2) that is just slightly more than its total defensive season average (62.4).