Author: Meghan Mitchell

As the Baylor men and women’s tennis regular season come to an end and post-season action begins, both teams have come a long way to where they are now. Through the ups and downs, both teams came together in the end to finish with a winning record at home. No. 43 Bears (14-12, 1-4) struggled from the start with ineligibilities and injuries but were able to come through with a 13-4 record at home. Even with senior Julian Lenz, who individually ranks No. 16 in the country, as the leader of the team, the Bears struggled to find his game…

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It was a storybook ending for the No. 21 Baylor softball seniors as they swept Kansas this past weekend in their last regular season series at Getterman Stadium. The Lady Bears (39-12, 10-4) opened the series with a 3-0 win over the Jayhawks (27-16, 4-5) as senior pitcher Heather Stearns struck out the first five batters. “I thought they were relaxed and excited about the atmosphere, and it was a good atmosphere,” said head coach Glenn Moore. “And, of course, Heather started the game on fire – five strikeouts, first five batters. She lost it a little bit there, but…

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The Baylor No. 1 acrobatic and tumbling claimed a spot in the NCATA championship after edging out No. 4 Hawaii Pacific Monday night at the Ferrell Center. “I always expect [Hawaii Pacific] to be close in the first half. Their strength is really acro and pyramid,” said head coach Felecia Mulkey. “I never take them lightly. We didn’t come in to today saying, ‘Oh, this one is a gimme.’ We try and not do that with any meet, but definitely not with [Hawaii Pacific] because they can take you down pretty easily. The Bears (9-0) defeated Hawaii Pacific (4-4) earlier…

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It was the perfect storm for junior tennis player Tyler Stayer in his unexpected journey to becoming a member of the Baylor men’s tennis team.

Just months ago, Stayer was a member of the club tennis team. Now Stayer finds himself in the thick of a tightly contested Big 12 regular season.

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Baylor’s “strength of schedule” was at the center of the Bears’ at-large bid for the College Football Playoff, and was hotly debated by pundits throughout the nation over the past two seasons. After announcing a game against Ole Miss that will take place in 2020, Baylor football continues to add strong, non-conference opponents to its distant schedules. On Thursday, Baylor signed a two-year home-and-home contract with Brigham Young University that will take place in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. “We are excited to set a home-and-home series with a tradition-rich, faith-based football program like BYU,” said Baylor Director of Athletics…

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As the semester draws to an end, it seems as if students stress out over every little thing. From homework grade to problems with roommates, it seems like we can find imperfections in everything, while wanting perfection. Shouldn’t imperfections be OK, though? I realize that we all want to do our best, but at the end of the day we are human and will never be perfect. I once was told that “imperfections are beauty.” I realize that many may see them as something completely different, but I see them as the building block that makes us who we are.…

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Head coach Kim Mulkey and her players all recited their mantra over and over throughout the season: “Eight is not enough.” But in the end, the Lady Bears did not have enough to get past the Elite Eight on Monday. For the third straight season, the the Lady Bears were one game shy of the the Final Four. However, before the heartbreak, the Lady Bears (36-2) started their season off strong, although hitting bumps along the way. The Lady Bears welcomed freshmen Alexandria Gulley, Justis Szczepanski, Kalani Brown, Alyssa Dry, and Beatrice Mompremier. Junior Alexis Jones would also get to…

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DALLAS — The No. 1 Lady Bears saw their season come to an end Monday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas to No. 2 Oregon State, 60-57.”Any loss is tough, but I guess you can say this one hurts a little bit more because it’s three times in a row,” junior forward Nina Davis said. “We played hard. I can’t say it was lack of effort. We fell short by one and any loss is just always tough.”After winning their matchup in the sweet sixteen against Florida State, the Lady Bears (36-2) aimed to take that momentum with…

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For Baylor men’s basketball King McClure, life is more than just a game of basketball and statistics. After being told he would never play again due to a heart condition, freshman guard King McClure found comfort from several people, but it was his faith and parents that became his bedrock during the tough times. “I was devastated when they told me I couldn’t play basketball anymore.” McClure said. “I cried and I cried, like my dreams were over. I believe that God really helped me. I was praying every night, just asking him, what do I need to do, how…

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The Lady Bears impressed this season as they finished undefeated at home and only lost one game on the road, while continuing to believe in their motto that “eight is not enough.” While watching from the outside, I have started to believe them when they bring up that motto. Doubts crept in when they lost their first conference game to Oklahoma State on the road 52-45, but looking back at it now, that loss seemed to have made them a stronger team. Since the loss, the Lady Bears seem to have become more focused and have set their eyes on…

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When the NCAA announced the Ferrell Center as one of the venues for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, it was clear the Lady Bears would be heavily favored to advance to the Sweet 16. Baylor’s NCAA tournament campaign would first test the Lady Bears’ ability to maintain its superiority over lower caliber teams. The Lady Bears entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed and cruised past the first two rounds to the Sweet Sixteen after decisive wins on Friday and Sunday. In their first matchup, the Lady Bears (35-1) faced No. 16 seed Idaho (24-10)…

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The No. 1 seed Lady Bears team cruised past a physical No. 9 seed Auburn team Sunday night at the Ferrell Center in route to a spot in the Sweet 16 for the eighth consecutive year.“I hate to even use the word bench, but I’m only allowed to play five at a time,” said head coach Kim Mulkey. “I have about nine starters. That’s how you win championships; everyone has to be focused and clicking at the same time.”The Lady Bears (35-1) were coming off a decisive victory Friday night against No. 16 Idaho, but knew that they were going…

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The No. 1 seed Lady Bears cruised past No. 16 seed Idaho on Friday at the Ferrell Center to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.“We hoped to come out and do a little better job out of zone finding their shooters. Alexis made us pay, and then Kristy came in and did the same,” said Vandal head coach Jon Newlee. “You really have to pick your poison with them…In my mind there is no doubt in my mind that they can win a national championship.”Winning the tipoff, junior guard Alexis Jones came down to drain a three…

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The No. 1 seed Lady Bears open the NCAA tournament at 4 p.m today against No. 16 seed Idaho at the Ferrell Center. Baylor players recalled their past two tournament appearances, which ended both times in the Elite Eight. “I’m more driven than anybody, just hitting that road block against Notre Dame constantly. It gets tiring,” said senior guard Niya Johnson. “I’m just trying to get to a Final Four this year.” Johnson has helped lead the Lady Bears to back-to-back Big 12 titles and Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship. Leading the nation with 8.7 assists per game…

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The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that senior guard Niya Johnson is once again a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award. For the sixteenth year, the top point guard in the NCAA Women’s Division I is recognized with the award, and this year’s winner will be announced during the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Award Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the Women’s Final Four. Joining Johnson as finalists are Connecticut senior Moriah Jefferson, Notre Dame junior Lindsay Allen, Ohio State sophomore Kelsey Mitchell, and Washington junior Kelsey Plum. With all five players making their mark on the court…

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The Lady Bears are headed to Oklahoma City to take part in the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship. The tournament begins today and runs through Monday. After losing their first conference game, the Lady Bears dug deep and found a way to win 17-straight games and take home the Big 12 title. Now they look to continue with the momentum in the Big 12 tournament as the No. 1 seed. “As a player you say no loss is good, but some can be,” said junior forward Nina Davis. “It can be a wake-up call to let you…

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Six Baylor football players were invited to Indianapolis last week to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.Head coach Art Briles has had 28 players be invited since he first started coaching at Baylor eight years ago. With six players invited this year, it tied with 2014 for the most players invited.The invitees included junior defensive tackle Andrew Billings, junior wide receiver Corey Coleman, senior offensive tackle Spencer Drango, junior cornerback Xavien Howard, senior deep snapper Jimmy Landes, and senior defensive end Shawn Oakman.Andrew BillingsAt 6-foot-1 and 311 pounds, Billings has captured the NFL’s attention. Billings…

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The No. 4 Lady Bears finished their season undefeated at home at claimed the full title as Big 12 champions for the sixth straight season.In a night honoring seniors, forward Chardonai Fuqua’, guard Niya Johnson, and post Kristina Higgins, the Lady Bears (30-1, 17-1) extended their win streak to 17. “I thought tonight, walking out on the floor and seeing all those gold shirts. Seeing the students from Baylor, the excitement the adrenaline, it sends a message. We have been able to generate new fans in the arena; it lets you know you are recognized as something that is excellent,”…

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No. 4 Lady Bears secured a share of the Big 12 title Saturday after fighting back from an early deficit to take down Kansas State on the road, 63-52.”As a competitor, you want to win every game,” said head coach Kim Mulkey. “But win or lose Monday, we’re going to get a ring and we’re still going to cut those nets down. That’s clutch to be able to lose your first conference game and win a championship and not lose another.”After losing their first conference game on the road to Oklahoma State, the Lady Bears have won 16 straight games,…

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Sophomore forward Johnathan Motley, the Bears’ go-to sixth man this season, has made his mark in the thick of the Big 12 conference schedule. At 6-foot-9, Motley averages 11.4 points off the bench. His effect on the court is showing lately, but it took years of hard work and dedication to get to where he is at today. “My sister inspired me to play. She is 18 years older than me and played before me, so that is how I got into it,” Motley said. “I think she was all-state back in her day.” Growing up with a mentor, Motley…

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Hopes of a Big 12 title slipped through the No. 19 Bears’ fingers Tuesday night at the Ferrell Center. No. 2 Kansas outlasted the Bears, 66-60. “I was proud of how we competed and played for 36 minutes, but I wish we could redo those last four minutes again,” said head coach Scott Drew. “But I can see a marked improvement from the first time we played them.” The Bears anticipated a good turnout from Baylor Nation at the Ferrell Center as fans participated in a White-Out. Play on both sides started off a bit chippy. Both teams struggled to…

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The No. 4 Lady Bears held off a late run by the No. 23 Sonoers to extend their win streak to 15 on Monday in Norman, Okla. The Lady Bears went on an 8-0 run to end the first quarter with a commanding lead, 18-6. The Lady Bears continued to dominate from the field as they ended the half on top, 38-28. Coming back from the half, a quick run in the third for the Lady Bears made it seem that they would take full control of the game. The Lady Bears forced four quick turnovers for the Sooners and…

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