By Jordan Smith | Sports Editor
The No. 2-ranked Baylor Lady Bears take on the No. 20-ranked rival in the Oklahoma University Sooners on Sunday in Waco.
This game is especially meaningful for the Lady Bears, not just because of the rivalry between the two schools, but because this game is the Type 1 Diabetes Awareness game.
Freshman forward Lauren Cox has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for much of her life.
“It’s been about 11 and a half years now. It’s super hard, it’s an everyday responsibility that I have to stay on top of and Sunday is really important to me just to show kids that they can do whatever they want regardless of the disease,” Cox said.
This season, Cox has averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and has the highest three-point shooting percentage on the team with four for seven shooting, which amounts to a 57.1 percentage.
Lady Bears head coach Kim Mulkey knows that these games are crucial for the freshman, but credits their development to a different source.
“Lauren and Natalie and Juicy [freshman forward Calveion Landrum], their development and their growth honestly comes from our practices,” Mulkey said. “Those kids will tell you they came here to get better and what better people to learn from than the upper classmen. So, when they get to the games they can transfer that knowledge and what they see everyday in practice to the floor.”
Between the two teams, the Sooners lead the all-time series with a record of 25-23. The last meeting with these two teams ended in a Lady Bears victory on Mar. 6, 2016 by a final score of 84-57. In games at Waco, the Lady Bears are 12-9 all-time in the matchup.
Redshirt senior guard Alexis Prince is looking to strike early in this upcoming game and make her presence felt on the court early on.
“The first basket helps me a lot. Once I get the first one going, it get’s my confidence going and from there just continue to compete,” Prince said.
In the last game the Lady Bears played in against Kansas State on Jan. 25, Prince had a career night, grabbing 25 points in the game, along with three steals and three of four from three point range in just 27 minutes of play.
Prince discussed how she felt about her performance in Manhattan, Kan. against the Wildcats.
“It felt good. I’m sure anybody would say that. I’ve been working hard my whole career to get to where I am at right now. So, yeah it felt good,” Prince said.
The Lady Bears look to remain undefeated at home as they take on the Oklahoma Sooners at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Ferrell Center on ESPN2. Fans can listen to live play by play commentary on Baylor Lariat Radio with a coverage of the game starting at 5:15 p.m.
