The No. 2/4 Baylor women’s basketball team (1-0) ramps up the competition schedule with its first of two top 10 matchups this week. The Lady Bears tangle with No. 9/9 UCLA (1-0) inside the Ferrell Center on Monday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. (CT), before hitting the road to meet No. 3/1 Connecticut on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m.
TELEVISION INFORMATION…
Fans can watch the Lady Bears play the Bruins on Fox Sports Southwest (FSSW). John Morris (play-by-play) and Jim Haller (color) are on the call.
THE BASICS…
• Baylor is 6-2 all-time against UCLA.
• Under head coach Kim Mulkey, the Lady Bears lead the series 4-0.
• At home, BU is 5-0 against the Bruins. Its two losses came on the road in 1996 and 1976.
SUMMING UP THE BRUINS…
• UCLA is ranked No. 9 in both Associated Press and USA Today Coaches preseason polls. The Bruins are 1-0 on the season after defeating Pacific, 82-55, in Los Angeles, Calif.
• The Bruins roster is comprised of two seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen.
• UCLA returns 11 letterwinners from its 2015-16 squad that reached the Sweet Sixteen, where it fell to Texas, 72-64. The Bruins finished the season 26-9 overall and 14-4 in Pac-12 play (tied for third).
• Head coach Cori Close begins her sixth season with the Bruins. She owns a 98-69 career record.
BAYLOR AGAINST THE TOP 10…
• The Lady Bears are 40-89 all-time against opponents ranked in the Top 10.
• Baylor has collected 39 of its 40 victories over Top 10 opponents under the watch of 17th-year head coach Kim Mulkey, 39-40.
• Monday’s game marks the seventh time in program history that Baylor has played an opponent ranked in the Top 10 in the first two games of the regular season.
• The Lady Bears have met teams in the Top 10 three times in a season-opener (vs. No. 3/2 LSU on Nov. 14, 2004 – L, 70-71; vs. No. 8/5 Georgia on Nov. 13, 2005 – W, 84-72; at No. 9/8 Tennessee on Nov. 15, 2009 – L, 65-74).
• Baylor has played a Top 10 team three times in the second game of the season (vs. No. 2/2 Stanford on Nov. 16, 2008 – W, 81-65; vs. No. 6/8 Kentucky on Nov. 13 – W, 85-51; at No. 13/10 Kentucky on Nov. 17, 2014 – L, 64-74).
• The Lady Bears have only played Top 10 opponents back-to-back in the first three games of the season one other time, on Nov. 13, 2012, against No. 6/8 Kentucky (W, 85-51) and Nov. 16, 2012, vs. No. 4/4 Stanford (L, 69-71) in Honolulu.
• Baylor has only met consecutive Top 10 opponents in the regular season one other time in 2003-04. The Lady Bears played against No. 3/3 Texas (W, 78-64) on Jan. 14, 2004, and at No. 2/1 Texas Tech (L, 63-64) on Jan. 17, 2004.
