By Jordan Smith | Sports Editor
The Baylor Lady Bears look to continue their dominating success and get win No. 16 in a row as they take on Iowa State today at the Ferrell Center.
Freshman forward Lauren Cox, who was recently named Big 12 Freshman of the Week for the third time this season, has gotten a lot of playing time recently and attributes it to her growing confidence in herself.
“I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable out on the court. When I first started out, I was nervous; I wasn’t really playing my game. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable now. I’ve started to hit shots; I’ve started to play my role,” Cox said.
This season, Cox averages 9.6 points per game with 4.6 rebounds and has 21 assists, five steals and a 75 percent three-point percentage this season, shooting three of four on the year.
Iowa State has a compiled a record of 10-7 with a Big 12 record of 1-5. Baylor leads the all-time head-to-head record with a mark of 22-7. Baylor also leads the match-up in Waco with a record of 12-1.
Lady Bears head coach Kim Mulkey is 21-5 all-time against Iowa State with a perfect home record of 11-0 in Waco against the Cyclones.
Mulkey said she sees one main thing with the Iowa State Cyclones that makes them dangerous whenever it plays.
“Threes. You got to defend the three ball. They shoot the most threes in the league and make a lot, and when you shoot a lot, you’re going to make a lot,” Mulkey said. “You know what you are going to get defensively in that it won’t be the same defense every time down the floor. You may see a zone, you may see man, a triangle too, a box and one. You are going to have to play.”
This will have to be a rebound game for the Cyclones as they have lost five of their last six games with their most recent win against the University of Kansas by a final of 87-58 on Jan. 8. The last time Iowa State defeated Baylor was on Feb. 28, 2015, in Ames where the Cyclones won 76-71.
Redshirt senior guard Alexis Prince, who is not much of a vocal presence on the team, still tries to help out her teammates when they request some help.
“Players do come up and talk to me. That’s the type of person I am, more of the off-the-court. But, on the court, if I see something, I will help them out on the side,” Prince said.
Prince has emerged as one of the anchors of the team this season, averaging 11.1 points per game, which is fourth best on the team. She also averaged 5.9 rebounds per game and has 38 assists, 12 blocks and 11 steals this season.
The Lady Bears look to make it 16 wins in a row as they take on the Iowa State Cyclones at 7 p.m. today at the Ferrell Center.
