Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 9 Lady Raiders Host No. 3 Sooners On Saturday
January 04, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2002
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Saturday's Game
No. 9/11 Texas Tech will take on No. 3/3 Oklahoma in Big 12 action. Tip-off is at 2:15 p.m. and will be shown locally on UPN22. It is the 23rd meeting between the two schools.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 after beating Kansas, 76-54, last Wednesday. The Lady Raiders are led in scoring by sophomore Jia Perkins at 15.7 points a game and sophomore Natalie Ritchie at 12.3. Senior Amber Tarr is averaging 9.5 points. Freshman Cisti Greenwalt is averaging 8.4 rebounds per outing, while Perkins is averaging 5.8 boards. Perkins has team highs of 49 assists and 28 steals. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 26 blocks followed by sophomore Jolee Ayers with 10. Senior Tanisha Ellison is shooting 52.3 percent from the field and Ritchie is shooting 39.7 percent from three-point range. On the year, the Lady Raiders are shooting 42.1 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from the three-point arc and 61.5 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Oklahoma enters the game with an 11-1 overall record and 1-0 in Big 12 play after beating Colorado, 78-67, last Wednesday night. In that game, senior Rosalind Ross scored a game-high 25 points followed by senior LaNeishea Caufield with 16 and junior Caton Hill with 16. Hill also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, while senior Stacey Dales dished out five assists.
On the year, Caufield paces the Sooners in scoring with a 19.8 average followed by Dales at 14.8, Hill at 13.2 and Ross at 12.9. Hill is the top rebounder, grabbing 6.3 boards per outing. Dales leads the team in assists with 60, while Caufield has a team-high 30 steals. Ross is the top shot blocker with six blocks. OU is shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the free throw line.
Sherri Coale is in her sixth year at the helm of the Sooners, establishing a career record of 92-70.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 17-5 advantage over Oklahoma after OU won both contests last season. OU was victorious, 84-66, in Norman Jan. 28 and on Feb. 17, 80-75, in Lubbock. The last time Texas Tech beat the Sooners was in an 86-81 triumph in Lubbock, Feb. 19, 2000. The Lady Raiders are 10-1 in Lubbock vs. Oklahoma.
Last Time vs. Oklahoma
Feb. 17, 2001 - Stacey Dales scored 22 points and Caton Hill added 16 as No. 10 Oklahoma defeated No. 14 Texas Tech 80-75.
It was the first time Oklahoma beat the Lady Raiders in Lubbock and the second home loss in as many weeks for Tech.
The victory allowed the Sooners to maintain their undefeated Big 12 road record and set a new school record based on the streak.
The Sooners led through much of the game before Tech closed within one point, 51-50, with 11:24 to play.
From there, the Lady Raiders went on a 12-9 run capped by a 3-point basket by Amber Tarr with 7:11 to play that gave Tech to take its first lead, 62-60.
After opening the lead to 68-63, with 5:25 to play, the Lady Raiders began missing shots. Dales put her team back in front, 73-72, on a basket with 2:41 to play and scored five more points to seal the win.
At halftime, the Sooners led 42-33.
Tech was led in scoring by Plenette Pierson's 16 points. Jolee Ayers added another 15, Amber Tarr 12 and Katrisa O'Neal 10.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will hit the road for two games at Missouri Jan. 9 and at Texas Jan. 13. The Lady Raiders return home on Jan. 16 to take on Baylor and then travel to Iowa State Jan. 19.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 468-143 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) - Jolee Ayers scored a career-high 22 points, and Cisti Greenwalt had a double-double as No. 9 Texas Tech defeated Kansas 76-54 Wednesday night in each team's Big 12 opener.
Kansas (5-9) stayed close until midway through the second half, when Tech (9-2) went on a 17-8 run in which Ayers scored seven points. Later, the Jayhawks' shooting went cold and they went nearly four minutes without a basket.
The Jayhawks were nearly shut out in rebounds at their end of the court, getting only six. Tech outrebounded Kansas 46-24.
Greenwalt scored 18 points and had 15 rebounds, and Natalie Ritchie added 12 points for the Lady Raiders. Ayers' highest point total before Wednesday's game was last season, when she scored 17 against Texas A&M.
K.C. Hilgenkamp scored 12 points - all in the final minutes of the game - and Selena Scott and Blair Waltz added 11 each for Kansas.
Tech led 33-28 at halftime. The Jayhawks got only one shot each time down the court and didn't get an offensive rebound until 4:34 remained.
They got only one more in the half.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Dec. 17, sophomore Natalie Ritchie ranks 26th in free throw percentage at 90 percent, among all NCAA Division I players. Ritchie also ranks 30th in three-point field goals made per game at 2.86 and 32nd in three-point field goal percentage at 45.45. As a team, Texas Tech ranks eighth in field goal percentage defense at 34.13.
Big 12 Openers
Texas Tech is now 5-1 in Big 12 openers. Tech has won at Baylor twice, once at Missouri and lost once at Iowa State, while beating Missouri last year in Lubbock and Kansas this year.
Ayers Pours in Career High
Sophomore Jolee Ayers came off the bench against Kansas to record a career-high 22 points while adding 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Ayers' previous career high was 17, which she had against Texas A&M last year.
Big Night for Greenwalt
Freshman Cisti Greenwalt had her third double-double of the season as she tallied a career-high 18 points and added 15 rebounds. Greenwalt's previous career high in points was 14 at Saint Peter's. Her career high in rebounds is 18, which she recorded at Saint Peter's.
Perkins Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Sophomore Jia Perkins was named the Big 12 Player of the Week for her performances during the holiday break from Dec. 18-Jan. 1. That included Tech's games at Saint Peter's, at Rutgers and against Vanderbilt. At Saint Peter's, Perkins recorded a career-high 32 points, connecting on 10-of-22 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, she had an all-around game with 17 points, a season-high nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and a block. For the three games, Perkins 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.
Team High Percentages
Texas Tech finished the Kansas game with team highs of 50 percent from the field (32-of-64) and 57.1 percent from three-point range (4-of-7).
Season High for Tarr
Senior Amber Tarr poured in a season-high 23 points in Texas Tech's win over Vanderbilt. Her previous season high was 19 points at New Mexico. Tarr was just two points shy of tying her career high of 25 points, which she had last season against Southeastern Louisiana.
Ritchie Ties Career High
Sophomore Natalie Ritchie tied her career-high 21 points against Vanderbilt. Ritchie also matched her career high of five three-point baskets.
Perkins Keeps on Performing
Sophomore Jia Perkins had another good game for the Lady Raiders against Vanderbilt. Perkins recorded 17 points, six rebounds, a season-high nine assists, three steals and one block in 35 minutes of play.
Season Low Turnovers
Texas Tech committed a season-low six turnovers in its victory over Vanderbilt. Tech's previous low was eight against Southern Miss.
More Threes
Texas Tech tied its season high of 10 three-point baskets vs. Vanderbilt. Tech also had 10 threes against Southern Miss. The school record for the most three-pointers by a team in a game is 11.
Lady Raiders Dish Out
Texas Tech dished out a season-high 21 assists against Vanderbilt, including a season-high nine by sophomore Jia Perkins. Tech also matched that output against Kansas.
Seven-Game Winning Streak
Texas Tech (9-2) is currently on a seven-game winning streak after starting the season with a loss, two wins and a loss.
Perkins Paces Lady Raiders Again
Sophomore Jia Perkins led the Lady Raiders to victory again over Rutgers as she scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while adding four assists and matching her career-high six steals.
Ayers Assisting Teammates
Sophomore Jolee Ayers recorded a career high of five assists in Tech's win at Rutgers. Her previous career high was three assists, which she had done three times in her career.
First Start for Greenwalt
Freshman Cisti Greenwalt made her first collegiate start at Rutgers. Greenwalt is currently averaging 7.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks.
Best Free Throw Outing
Texas Tech had its best outing at the free throw line at Rutgers. Tech shot 90 percent from the charity stripe, connecting on 9-of-10 attempts.
Top Five Teams
Texas Tech will face another top five team this week in No. 3/3 Oklahoma on Jan. 5. It marks the third top five team Tech will play this season and the second third-ranked team in three games. The Lady Raiders beat then No. 3/3 Vanderbilt Dec. 29 and lost at then No. 4/5 Duke Nov. 11.
Perkins Pours in Points
Sophomore Jia Perkins poured in a career-high 32 points in Texas Tech's win at Saint Peter's. Perkins went 10-for-22 from the field and 12-for-14 from the free throw line. Her previous career high was 29 points against Purdue in the NCAA Sweet 16 last season.
Jackson Puts Up Career High
Sophomore Casey Jackson scored a career-high 19 points in Texas Tech's win over Southern Miss. Jackson also recorded career highs of five steals and one block in that game.
Simmons, Daniels Get Career Highs vs. Southern Miss
Freshmen Kari Jo Simmons and LaTosha Daniels each had career highs against Southern Miss. Simmons finished with career highs of six points, three rebounds and three assists. Daniels came away with career highs of three points, three rebounds and two steals. Daniels also matched her career-high three points at Rutgers.
Everyone Scores
In Tech's victory over Southern Miss, all 11 players scored led by sophomore Casey Jackson's 19 points, senior Amber Tarr's 16 and sophomore Jia Perkins' 14.
Season Highs
Texas Tech scored a season-high 95 points against Southern Miss, while also having season highs of 35 made field goals and 10 three-point baskets.
Shutting Down the Eagles
Texas Tech held Southern Miss to just 34 points, 19.3 field goal percentage and 52.9 free throw percentage - all opponent season lows.
Seven Lineups in 11 Games
Texas Tech has used seven different lineups in its 11 games this year. Senior Tanisha Ellison and sophomore Jia Perkins have started 10 games and sophomore Casey Jackson has eight starts. Senior Amber Tarr has seven starts. Sophomores Natalie Ritchie has six starts, while freshman Cisti Greenwalt has three and senior Candi White has two. Tech has used the same lineup in the last three games (Ellison, Greenwalt, Perkins, Ritchie and Tarr).
Everybody Plays
In Texas Tech's 74-43 victory over Rice, all 11 players saw action led by sophomore Natalie Ritchie's 28 minutes. Freshman Cisti Greenwalt recorded 24 minutes of play, while sophomore Jia Perkins added 23 minutes.
Tech Ties Single-Game Record for Blocks, Again
Texas Tech tied a single-game high in blocks with 13 against Rice for the second-straight game. Tech also had 13 blocks against North Texas in the previous game. Tech also had 13 blocks against Texas A&M on Feb. 12, 1997.
Television Games
The Lady Raiders will appear on national and/or regional television eight times this season. Tech's first game was against Duke Nov. 11 on ESPN and will play Wisconsin on espn2 on Feb. 17. Tech played Vanderbilt on syndication television throughout the United States. 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.
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 184 weeks. That includes this week's polls of ninth in the AP poll and 11th in the USA Today/ESPN poll.
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.
