By Kaitlyn DeHaven | Digital Managing Editor
After defeating TCU 89-71 Saturday afternoon, the No. 1-ranked Baylor women’s basketball team is ready to take on its next challenge — the Kansas State Wildcats.
The game starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Manhattan, Kan., which could give a slight advantage to the Wildcats, who are on a two-game win streak.
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey said she gives a lot of the credit for their road wins to their routine and their preparation.
“I think it’s preparation,” Mulkey said. “I think our coaching staff does a good job of going over scouting reports in great detail to make sure they understand things.”
The Lady Bears are 7-1 on the road this season, with their only loss of the season coming to Stanford.
Senior guard Chloe Jackson also said she believes that preparation is a key player for Baylor’s success on the road.
“We know the game plan, we stick to the game plan, and we just follow through with it, and it works out,” Jackson said.
Kansas State is 10-3 at home this season, as compared to 4-3 on the road.
The Wildcats’ leading player is junior forward Peyton Williams. In almost every game this season, Williams has scored over 10 points for her team. Another player to watch is senior guard Kayla Goth, who was a key defensive player when the Lady Bears and Wildcats met on Jan. 9.
In that game, Baylor senior center Kalani Brown played a big role, but was blocked by Goth, making it difficult for Brown to get the ball. This year, Mulkey said they’re going to go into the game prepared.
“We’ve adjusted, and I think we’ll continue to get better at that,” Mulkey said. “But when you play on somebody else’s home floor, you have to have the mindset that you’re down 10-0 before you ever score. Because they’re going to make shots at home that they maybe wouldn’t make on the road.”
Mulkey said the rest of the games this season, including this one, should be tough, so staying sharp down the stretch is crucial for postseason seeding.
“This is not going to be an easy game,” Mulkey said. “These last seven games will be extremely tough, because everybody is trying to get in the playoffs and get a good seed.”
