Texas Tech University Athletics
Perkins Named Big 12 Player Of The Week
January 02, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2002
Texas Tech's Jia Perkins was named Big 12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week and Texas' Heather Schreiber was named Big 12 Women's Basketball Rookie of the Week in a vote of a media panel for games played during the holiday break from Dec. 18-Jan. 1, announced the conference office Wednesday.
Perkins, a 5-8 sophomore guard, helped lead Texas Tech to three victories over the holidays, including an upset of No. 3 Vanderbilt. At Saint Peter's, Perkins recorded a career-high 32 points, connecting on 10-of-12 shot attempts and 12-of- 14 free throws. At Rutgers, Perkins scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and hit all six free throw attempts, while matching her career high of six steals. Against No. 3 Vanderbilt, the Granbury, Texas, native had an all-around game with 17 points, a season-high nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and a block. For the three games, she averaged 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists, while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. Perkins leads Texas Tech in scoring with a 16.3 average and has team-highs of 45 assists and 28 steals.
Schreiber, a 6-2 freshman forward, averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and hit 63 percent of her three-pointers (5-of-8) in Texas' last two games. With UT going against No. 24 Penn State without the services of leading scorer and rebounder Stacy Stephens (out for family reasons), Schreiber helped spark Texas from a 14-point first-half deficit as UT tied the game late before losing, 67-65. The Windthorst, Texas, native played all 40 minutes, ending with 12 points and a game-high tying nine rebounds. Against Ohio University, Schreiber accounted for nearly one point per minute, scoring a career-high 25 points in 27 minutes to lead the Longhorns to an 87-66 win on Dec. 29th. Her career-highs in that game included 10-of-15 shooting from the field, and three-pointers made and attempted (3-of-5). Schreiber scored 18 points in the second half. When Ohio drew to within 10, 70-60 with 4:15 to play, it was Schreiber the Horns turned to down the stretch, as she collected 11 of UT's final 17 points to pull away for the win. In the last 4:15, Schreiber also had four rebounds (three defensive) and one steal to help seal the win.
