MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 20/23-ranked West Virginia University women's basketball team travels to Waco, Texas, on Monday, March 8, as the Mountaineers prepare for a top-25 matchup against No. 6/6 Baylor in the 2020-21, regular-season finale.
Opening tip against the Lady Bears is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, at the Ferrell Center in Waco.
Dan Zangrilli will call the game for the Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. The game can be found on 100.9 FM, as well as affiliates across the state, the TuneIn Radio App and WVUSports.com. Monday's contest also will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and Jim Haller on the call.
West Virginia (19-4, 13-4 Big 12) and Baylor (21-2, 16-1 Big 12) get set to meet on the basketball court for the 22nd time on Monday evening. BU has won the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Mountaineers' last win against the Lady Bears came on March 6, 2017, in the 2017 Big 12 Tournament Championship. WVU knocked off No. 2 Baylor in the title game 77-66, at Chesapeake Energy Arena, in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Lady Bears took the first matchup between the two teams this season, defeating WVU, 65-45, on Dec. 10, in Morgantown.
Monday's contest is the contest of a four-game, road stretch that has taken the team to Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State. WVU concludes the 2020-21 regular season tomorrow at BU before traveling to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete at the 2021 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. West Virginia has not played four consecutive true road games since the 2007-08 season and has not played four consecutive road games in conference play since the 1990-91 season.
West Virginia is coming off a 72-64 win against Kansas State on March 3, at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas. With the win, the Mountaineers now have 13 Big 12 victories this season, their most Big 12, regular-season wins since the 2013-14 season when the team notched 16 league victories, and have secured second place in the conference and the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Championship.
Sophomore forward
Esmery Martinez once again led West Virginia's offensive efforts, tying a career high with 23 points. She also recorded her 13th double-double of the season, grabbing 12 rebounds on the night. Three other Mountaineers scored in double figures on Wednesday, as redshirt senior
Kysre Gondrezick (14), sophomore guard
Kirsten Deans (13) and junior guard
Jasmine Carson (11) also reached the 10-point threshold.
Baylor is coming off a 93-67 win against Kansas on March 6, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Forward NaLyssa Smith (21) and guard Dijonai Carrington (20) both tallied 20-plus points in the win, as five Lady Bears finished in double figures. Smith led BU on the glass, with 12 rebounds, to tally a double-double. Guard Moon Ursin dished out a team-best, four assists in the victory.
The Lady Bears are led by Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey, who is in her 21st season in Waco. She has spent her entire head coaching career with Baylor and has amassed a record of 625-103.
