Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Prepare For Oregon
November 25, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2001
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Tonight's Game
No. 8/9 Texas Tech (1-1) will take on Oregon (2-2) tonight at 9 p.m. CST at McArthur Court in Eugene, Ore. It is the third meeting between the two teams.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 1-1 on the year after beating Oregon State 64-60 last Saturday in Corvallis. The Lady Raiders are led in scoring by sophomore Natalie Ritchie at 18.5 points per game followed by sophomore Jia Perkins at 17.0 and junior Plenette Pierson at 14.0. Pierson and sophomore Casey Jackson are the top rebounders as each is averaging 7.5 boards a game. Perkins has team highs of 11 assists and nine steals. Pierson, sophomore Jolee Ayers and freshman Cisti Greenwalt each have recorded two blocks. Pierson has a team-high 54.5 percent from the field, while Ritchie is shooting 50 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from three point range. On the year, the Lady Raiders are shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from the three-point arc and 56 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Oregon enters the game with a 2-2 record after beating TCU, 75-63, last Saturday in Portland. In that game, junior Shaquala Williams scored a game-high 22 points, while senior Edniesha Curry added 21 points. Freshman Andrea Bills chipped in 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Williams also had four assists and two steals on the night.
On the year, the Ducks are led in scoring by Williams with a 17.5 average followed by Curry at 14.8. Senior Alyssa Fredrick is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.0 boards per outing. Williams has a team-high 17 assists and Fredrick leads the Ducks in blocks with two. Several players have recorded five steals on the season. As a team, Oregon is shooting 45 percent from the field, 70.1 percent from three-point range and 28.4 percent from the charity stripe.
Bev Smith is in her first year as a head coach with a 2-2 record.
Series Record
Tonight is the third meeting between Texas Tech and Oregon with the Lady Raiders leading the series 2-0. Tech won the first meeting, 68-63, in Eugene Dec. 1, 1986. Last year the Lady Raiders were victorious 79-75 in overtime in Lubbock on Dec. 13.
Last Year vs. the Ducks
Dec. 13, 2000 - (AP) - Plenette Pierson and Jia Perkins each hit two free throws in the final 12 seconds to help No. 11 Texas Tech beat No. 14 Oregon 79-75 in overtime.
Oregon forced overtime by overcoming a 12-point deficit with 6:36 remaining in the game. In overtime, Tech took an early 71-68 lead on a free throw by Katrisa O'Neal and a basket by Casey Jackson.
The Ducks tied it at 71 when Lindsey Dion and Alyssa Fredrick combined to hit three of four free throws.
Tech took the lead for good on a driving basket by Perkins with 2:31 remaining. After a missed shot by Oregon, O'Neal drilled a shot from just inside the three-point arc as the shot clock expired, pushing the Lady Raiders' lead to 75-71.
Oregon got within tow points twice in the final 40 seconds on baskets by Jenny Mowe and Fredrick, but the Lady Raiders, who had struggled from the free throw line (21 of 37) sank four in the final seconds to secure the victory.
Tech built a 61-49 lead on O'Neal's layup with 6:36 remaining, but Oregon steadily whittled away at the lead, cutting it to 67-66 with 2:10 remaining on a pair of free throws by Kourtney Shreve.
Jackson answered by converting one of two free throws with 35.8 seconds remaining in regulation to give Tech a 68-66 lead, but Oregon's Fredrick converted an inside basket to tie it up with nine seconds remaining.
Pierson led the Lady Raiders with 20 points while Perkins contributed 17.
Oregon was led by Mowe with 16 points.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech travels to New Mexico Nov. 29. The Lady Raiders will be back in Lubbock for three-straight contests against North Texas Dec. 2 , Rice Dec. 5 and Southern Miss Dec. 16. Tech will then hit the road again for games at Saint Peter's College Dec. 19 and Rutgers Dec. 21. The Lady Raiders will conclude 2001 by hosting Vanderbilt in the Triple Crown Classic Dec. 29. Colorado will play LSU in the first game of the classic in Lubbock on Dec. 29.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 460-142 in her 20th year at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Entering the 2001-02 season, Sharp was the seventh active winningest coach among Division I coaches. She has led the Lady Raiders to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 12 consecutive, and eight NCAA Sweet 16 and three Elite Eight appearances and the NCAA National Championship in 1993. Sharp led the Lady Raiders to three-straight Big 12 Conference regular-season titles (1998-2000) and two tournament crowns (1998, 1999). While in the SWC, coach Sharp and the Lady Raiders never finished below third, they won or shared the last five championships, and they captured three Post-Season Classic titles.
A 1974 graduate of Wayland Baptist University, Sharp was named the National Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994. She also reaped SWC Coach of the Year honors seven times, five consecutively.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Natalie Ritchie had a career game, but Texas Tech won because of its defense.
Ritchie scored 21 points and the eighth-ranked Lady Raiders withstood a late rally to defeat Oregon State 64-60 Saturday.
Texas Tech shot only 40 percent (11-of-27) in the first half but shot 55 percent (15-of-27) in the second half. It also had 13 of its 20 turnovers in the first half.
Plenette Pierson added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Raiders (1-1), playing their first game since Nov. 11.
Texas Tech never trailed after moving ahead 15-13 on a 3-pointer by Ritchie with 7:48 remaining in the first half. That keyed a 7-0 run that gave the Lady Raiders a 19-13 advantage, and the Beavers never came closer than four points thereafter.
Texas Tech led 62-42 with 2:49 remaining and appeared ready to coast home, but Felicia Ragland, the 2001 Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year, led a furious comeback. She made 4-of-5 3-point shots in the final 1:06, the last of which came at the buzzer as OSU (2-2) outscored Texas Tech 18-2 down the stretch.
Ritchie was 5-for-8 on 3-pointers and established a career high in scoring for the second successive game. She had 16 points in Texas Tech's season-opening loss at Duke on Nov. 11.
Ragland led the Beavers with 24 points, seven rebounds and seven steals and senior center Ericka Cook added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Texas Tech scored the final four points of the first half for a 28-19 lead, the largest by either team in the first half.
OSU pulled within 34-30 on a 3-pointer by Ragland with 16:19 remaining, but Ritchie answered with a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 Lady Raider run that enabled them to establish their biggest lead to that point, 44-30 with 12:21 to play.
Ritchie had six points, Pierson four in the spurt. Texas Tech eventually led 62-42 on a free throw by Jia Perkins with 2:49 to play. However, after that it was only 2-for-7 from the foul line and had three turnovers to enable the Beavers to get back in the game.
Oregon State shot poorly until the final two minutes, when only two Texas Tech starters were still playing. Texas Tech held OSU to 41 percent (24-for-58) from the field and forced 21 turnovers.
Ritchie Scores Career High, Again
Sophomore Natalie Ritchie scored a career-high 21 points in Texas Tech's victory at Oregon State Nov. 24. Ritchie connected on 8-of-16 attempts from the fielding, including a career-high five three-pointers. Ritchie's previous career high was 16 points, which she had in the previous game at Duke Nov. 11.
Another First Start
Sophomore Natalie Ritchie made her first career start against Oregon State Nov. 24. Ritchie and fellow sophomore Casey Jackson have both started for the first time in their careers this season.
Pierson Picks Up Points at OSU
Junior Plenette Pierson scored a season-high 18 points at Oregon State Nov. 24. Her previous season-high was 10 at Duke. Pierson also added seven rebounds against OSU.
Perkins Dishes Out
Sophomore Jia Perkins dished out a season-high seven assists at Oregon State Nov. 24. Perkins also added seven points and four steals in that game. Ayers, Jackson Tie Some Career Highs
Sophomore Jolee Ayers tied her career highs of three assists and two blocks against Oregon State Nov. 24, while sophomore Casey Jackson matched her career high of three assists. Jackson also had a season-high seven points.
Perkins Off to Good Start
Sophomore Jia Perkins scored a game-high 27 points, while adding eight rebounds, five steals and four assists in 35 minutes of action in Tech's loss at No. 4/5 Duke Nov. 11. Perkins shot 50 percent from the field as she was 12-of-24. She was also perfect from the free throw line, sinking all three attempts.
Jackson Grabs Career High
Sophomore Casey Jackson recorded a career-high nine rebounds against Duke Nov. 11. Jackson's previous career high was seven, which she had twice last season.
Pierson Matches Career High Assists
Junior Plenette Pierson tied her career high of three assists at Duke Nov. 11. Pierson has recorded three assists on seven occasions.
Brown Sidelined
Sophomore Dionne Brown will sit out for approximately 2-4 more games after injuring her medial collateral ligament in her right knee. Brown suffered the same injury last season and sat out five games before returning to action.
Pierson Preseason Naismith Candidate
Junior Plenette Pierson was one of 30 women's basketball players named as a Preseason Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Candidate announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Clark Redshirting
Freshman Jametra Clark will redshirt the 2001-02 season for medical purposes pertaining to a previous knee injury.
Home Opener
Texas Tech will not open at home until Dec. 2 against North Texas. The Lady Raiders will open Big 12 Conference play at home with two straight-games in Lubbock - Jan. 2 against Kansas and Jan. 5 against Oklahoma.
Television Games
The Lady Raiders will appear on national and/or regional television seven times this season. Tech first game was against Duke Nov. 11 on ESPN and will play Wisconsin on espn2 on Feb. 17. The Lady Raiders will face Big 12 foes Texas (home and away), at Kansas State, Colorado and at Oklahoma on Fox Sports Net. The rest of Tech's home games will be televised locally and throughout the state of Texas by the Texas Tech Television Network.
Sharp One of the Elite
Head coach Marsha Sharp's .76461 winning percentage ranks her seventh best in the country among Division I active coaches. Entering the 2001-02 Sharp had a 458-141 career record according to NCAA standards. The NCAA does not include forfeits in the overall record, which was 459-141. Sharp won a game by forfeit during the 1988-89 season against Baylor.
Lady Raiders in the Polls
Since January 20, 1992, the Lady Raiders have been ranked in the Top 25 in the Associated Press and/or the USA Today poll a total of 178 weeks. That includes this week's polls of eighth in the AP poll and ninth by USA Today/ESPN.
