Bracing for Brittney, Prairie View A&M takes the challenge

PVAMU Coach Toyelle Wilson

WACO, TX — Prairie View A&M had some fun at practice this week trying to simulate what it will take to get off a shot against the Big 12 champion Baylor Lady Bears and 6-8 center Brittney Griner. Assistant coach Rob Amboree, who is 6-5, held up a hitting pad to make the Lady Panthers shoot over it.

PVAMU vs. #1 Baylor
Time: 7:30 p.m. E.T.
TV: ESPN2
Internet: ESPN2 - Click Here

“She alters the game,” first-year Prairie View coach Toyelle Wilson said. “You’ve got to prepare for that.”

Ready or not, 16th-seeded Prairie View will take on No. 1 Baylor on Sunday at 6:40 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Going into the unveiling of the bracket earlier this week, Wilson said she was hoping to see her Southwestern Athletic Conference champions matched against a team other than Baylor because of Griner’s potential to make it so difficult to score.

Top-seeded Baylor very good _ and still very young; Griner among 9 Lady Bears’ underclassmen

WACO, Texas — Baylor went to the Final Four last season when Brittney Griner was a freshman. This time, the Lady Bears are a No. 1 seed for the first time with freshman starting point guard Odyssey Sims.  The Big 12 champions are very good — and still very young.

The 6-foot-8 Griner is among seven sophomores for the Lady Bears (31-2), who open the NCAA tournament against SWAC champion Prairie View (21-11) on Sunday night at home, where they are 19-0 this season.

Gifted Griner Wants to Do Even More for Baylor

Brittney Griner has already had an impact on women's basketball like few players before her. The 6-foot-8 Griner can dunk, rebound, block shots and alter games with her imposing presence in the lane. Yet as dominating as she has been in her two seasons for the Baylor Lady Bears, she isn't so sure she has lived up to the billing.

"I don't think I'm as good as what everybody says I am," Griner said. "I think I'm alright."

Baylor has already been to a Final Four with Griner, making it last year when she was a freshman on a team that had lost its top four scorers from the previous season. This year, the Lady Bears were Big 12 regular season and tournament champions and are a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

Top-seeded Buffaloes slam Texas Southern Tigers 88-74

BOULDER, Colo. — If there was going to be a chance for Texas Southern to sneak up on Colorado, it came with five minutes left in the first half Wednesday night.

The Tigers trailed by three points, the crowd of 6,299 at the Coors Event Center was mostly quiet and the Buffaloes looked every bit like a team snubbed for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“We thought we had the game,” TSU forward Travele Jones said. Colorado pulled away just before halftime and cruised to an 88-74 victory over TSU in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Snubbed Buffaloes pick up NIT victory

BOULDER - Alec Burks had 27 points and seven rebounds, Cory Higgins scored 25 points and the top-seeded Buffaloes beat Texas Southern 88-74 in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday night.

Freshman Andre Roberson had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Buffaloes (22-13), who will face California - a 77-74 winner over Mississippi on Wednesday - in Boulder on Friday night.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

16th-seeded Prairie View women to face No. 1 Baylor in tourney

The Prairie View A&M Panthers’ anxiety over learning their destination in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament disappeared mere minutes into Monday evening’s selection show on ESPN.
Their name appeared underneath first-round opponent and No. 1 seed Baylor on the flat screens at Buffalo Wild Wings in Cypress, and the attendants at the Panthers’ selection show watch party roared in jubilation.

The 16th-seeded Panthers (21-11) will start their NCAA Tournament run against the Bears (31-2) in the Dallas Region at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ferrell Center in Waco. The winner advances to face the victor of Sunday’s earlier matchup between No. 8 seed Houston (26-5) and No. 9 seed West Virginia (23-9).



Baylor No. 1 NCAA seed at home vs. Prairie View

Baylor is a No. 1 seed for the first time and playing at home to start this year's NCAA women's tournament.

The Big 12 champion Lady Bears (31-2) open this year's tournament Sunday against SWAC champion Prairie View (21-11). If they want to make it to the Final Four for the second year in a row, there is the real possibility that they will have to beat Big 12 runner-up Texas A&M for...

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.