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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Baylor University women's basketball team once |
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again proved itself the finest in the nation by winning the 2019 |
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NCAA Division I championship on April 7; and |
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WHEREAS, The Lady Bears' journey to the title began with a |
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10-game winning streak to open the season; they followed with a |
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perfect run against their conference opponents to sweep the Big 12 |
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regular-season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA |
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tournament as a No. 1 seed and the nation's top-ranked team; and |
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WHEREAS, In the Greensboro Regional, Baylor crushed Abilene |
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Christian 95-38 to launch its championship bid and then notched |
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commanding victories over California, South Carolina, and Iowa to |
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punch its ticket to the Final Four for the fourth time; in the |
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semifinal game, the Lady Bears pitted their signature defense |
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against Oregon's explosive offense in a contest that ultimately |
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featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes; the Baylor players were |
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relentless down the stretch, scoring a go-ahead layup with 41 |
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seconds remaining and icing the win from the free-throw line to move |
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on to the championship game; and |
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WHEREAS, Competing for the title in front of more than 20,000 |
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fans on April 7, Baylor battled defending national champion Notre |
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Dame; the Lady Bears took charge in the first half, leading by as |
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many as 17 points, but the momentum shifted late in the third |
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quarter when Baylor standout Lauren Cox was sidelined with a knee |
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injury; mounting a fourth-quarter comeback, Notre Dame knotted the |
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contest at 74-all and then pulled ahead; with their title hopes on |
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the line, the Lady Bears refused to give in, hitting clutch shots in |
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the final minute, including the game-winning layup with 3.9 seconds |
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on the clock; triumphing by a final score of 82-81, the team cut |
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down the nets in celebration of their school's third national |
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crown; and |
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WHEREAS, Baylor was paced by Chloe Jackson, who scored 26 |
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points, including the winning bucket; she was named the |
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championship game's Most Outstanding Player and joined Ms. Cox and |
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Kalani Brown on the All-Tournament Team; the Lady Bears also |
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received valuable contributions throughout the season from the |
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other members of the roster: Caitlin Bickle, Aquira DeCosta, Queen |
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Egbo, Honesty Scott-Grayson, Juicy Landrum, DiDi Richards, NaLyssa |
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Smith, Trinity Oliver, and Moon Ursin; and |
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WHEREAS, These determined student-athletes were ably guided |
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by Kim Mulkey, who became one of only three head coaches to win |
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three or more NCAA Division I women's titles, having also led Baylor |
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to the 2005 and 2012 crowns; the team enjoyed additional support |
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from associate head coach Bill Brock, assistant coach/recruiting |
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coordinator Sytia Messer, and assistant coach Toyelle Wilson; and |
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WHEREAS, By accomplishing the rare feat of winning a third |
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national championship, the Baylor Lady Bears have burnished their |
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reputation as a basketball powerhouse, and all those associated |
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with the team may reflect with pride on a job well done; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Baylor University women's |
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basketball team on winning the 2019 NCAA Division I national |
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championship and extend to the players, coaches, and staff sincere |
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best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Lady Bears as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Anderson |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1258 was adopted by the House on April |
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26, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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