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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Baylor University women's basketball team once |
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| 6 | 7 | | again proved itself the finest in the nation by winning the 2019 |
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| 7 | 8 | | NCAA Division I championship on April 7; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Lady Bears' journey to the title began with a |
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| 9 | 10 | | 10-game winning streak to open the season; they followed with a |
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| 10 | 11 | | perfect run against their conference opponents to sweep the Big 12 |
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| 11 | 12 | | regular-season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA |
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| 12 | 13 | | tournament as a No. 1 seed and the nation's top-ranked team; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, In the Greensboro Regional, Baylor crushed Abilene |
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| 14 | 15 | | Christian 95-38 to launch its championship bid and then notched |
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| 15 | 16 | | commanding victories over California, South Carolina, and Iowa to |
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| 16 | 17 | | punch its ticket to the Final Four for the fourth time; in the |
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| 17 | 18 | | semifinal game, the Lady Bears pitted their signature defense |
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| 18 | 19 | | against Oregon's explosive offense in a contest that ultimately |
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| 19 | 20 | | featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes; the Baylor players were |
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| 20 | 21 | | relentless down the stretch, scoring a go-ahead layup with 41 |
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| 21 | 22 | | seconds remaining and icing the win from the free-throw line to move |
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| 22 | 23 | | on to the championship game; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Competing for the title in front of more than 20,000 |
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| 24 | 25 | | fans on April 7, Baylor battled defending national champion Notre |
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| 25 | 26 | | Dame; the Lady Bears took charge in the first half, leading by as |
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| 26 | 27 | | many as 17 points, but the momentum shifted late in the third |
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| 27 | 28 | | quarter when Baylor standout Lauren Cox was sidelined with a knee |
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| 28 | 29 | | injury; mounting a fourth-quarter comeback, Notre Dame knotted the |
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| 29 | 30 | | contest at 74-all and then pulled ahead; with their title hopes on |
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| 30 | 31 | | the line, the Lady Bears refused to give in, hitting clutch shots in |
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| 31 | 32 | | the final minute, including the game-winning layup with 3.9 seconds |
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| 32 | 33 | | on the clock; triumphing by a final score of 82-81, the team cut |
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| 33 | 34 | | down the nets in celebration of their school's third national |
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| 34 | 35 | | crown; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Baylor was paced by Chloe Jackson, who scored 26 |
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| 36 | 37 | | points, including the winning bucket; she was named the |
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| 37 | 38 | | championship game's Most Outstanding Player and joined Ms. Cox and |
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| 38 | 39 | | Kalani Brown on the All-Tournament Team; the Lady Bears also |
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| 39 | 40 | | received valuable contributions throughout the season from the |
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| 40 | 41 | | other members of the roster: Caitlin Bickle, Aquira DeCosta, Queen |
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| 41 | 42 | | Egbo, Honesty Scott-Grayson, Juicy Landrum, DiDi Richards, NaLyssa |
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| 42 | 43 | | Smith, Trinity Oliver, and Moon Ursin; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, These determined student-athletes were ably guided |
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| 44 | 45 | | by Kim Mulkey, who became one of only three head coaches to win |
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| 45 | 46 | | three or more NCAA Division I women's titles, having also led Baylor |
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| 46 | 47 | | to the 2005 and 2012 crowns; the team enjoyed additional support |
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| 47 | 48 | | from associate head coach Bill Brock, assistant coach/recruiting |
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| 48 | 49 | | coordinator Sytia Messer, and assistant coach Toyelle Wilson; and |
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| 49 | 50 | | WHEREAS, By accomplishing the rare feat of winning a third |
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| 50 | 51 | | national championship, the Baylor Lady Bears have burnished their |
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| 51 | 52 | | reputation as a basketball powerhouse, and all those associated |
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| 52 | 53 | | with the team may reflect with pride on a job well done; now, |
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| 53 | 54 | | therefore, be it |
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| 54 | 55 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 55 | 56 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the Baylor University women's |
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| 56 | 57 | | basketball team on winning the 2019 NCAA Division I national |
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| 57 | 58 | | championship and extend to the players, coaches, and staff sincere |
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| 58 | 59 | | best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 59 | 60 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 60 | 61 | | prepared for the Lady Bears as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 61 | 62 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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