Texas Tech University Athletics
Stretch Run for Lady Raiders
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
February 23, 1999
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)--Texas Tech looks to close out the regular season this week as Big 12 champions.
The Lady Raiders (23-3, 12-2) control their own destiny, leading second-place Iowa State by one game and third-place Kansas by two games with two left to play. The Cyclones play Missouri Tuesday while the Jayhawks visit Oklahoma State Wednesday.
No. 11 Texas Tech, winner of four straight and six of its last seven, can win the Big 12 regular season with two wins in their final two contests.
"Two huge games, there's no other way to look at it," Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp said. "You can either be a conference champion next week at this time or you can be third or fourth. We're going to have to put all the pieces together and handle all the distractions that we'll have."
The Lady Raiders' first challenge is at Colorado Wednesday.
The Buffaloes (13-11, 6-8) are 9-4 at home this season, and according to Sharp, play a similar game to Nebraska, whom the Lady Raiders defeated 75-62 in their last outing Sunday.
"Colorado will give us a similar look (to Nebraska) as far as their teams and the things they get in their facility and how well we'll have to go to hold off that situation and have a chance to win," Sharp said. "They're pretty successful at Colorado, they've played very well this year."
After the Colorado game, Texas Tech returns home Saturday to end their regular season against their biggest rivals - Texas.
"There'll be a lot of emotions that night," Sharp said. "We'll be honoring four seniors and their great careers here. There'll be a lot of things we'll need to block out so we can play well on Saturday to have a chance to be conference champion."
Texas Tech and Colorado, meeting for the only time this season, have a short history between them. The Lady Raiders joined the Big 12 in the 1996-97 season and hold a 3-2 advantage over the Buffaloes in the overall series.
