Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 13 Lady Raiders Set To Host Washington Sunday Afternoon
November 22, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2002
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#13/13 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (0-1)
vs.
Washington Huskies (0-0)
November 24, 2002 * Lubbock, Texas
* 2 p.m. * Fox Sports Net
Sunday's Game
No. 13/13 Texas Tech (0-1) will host Washington (0-0) at 2 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the sixth meeting between the two schools. The game is the second for both on the year and will be televised by Fox Sports Net. Kevin Eschenfelder and Brenda VanLengen will be calling the game for Fox Sports Net.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 0-1 on the year after losing to Louisiana Tech, 85-76, in the 10th-Annual State Farm Tip-Off Classic in Knoxville, Tenn., Nov. 10. In that game, senior Plenette Pierson scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. She also tallied a career-high six blocks. Also scoring in double figures were junior Jia Perkins with 16 points and freshman guard Erin Grant with 13. Grant had team highs of six assists and two steals. Junior Casey Jackson chipped in six rebounds. The Lady Raiders shot 44.9 percent from the field, 20 percent from three-point range and 65 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Washington returns all five starters from a year ago along with six other letterwinners from a team that went 19-12 and finished second in the Pac-10. The Huskies play at Boise State on Friday before heading to Lubbock.
Washington's top returners are senior Loree Payne, who averaged 14.3 points last season followed by junior Giuliana Mendiola at 12.5 and junior Andrea Lalum at 11.4. Lalum is also the top returning rebounder, averaging 5.8 boards. Lalum led the team in blocks last season with 30, while Mendiola recorded a team-high 152 assists.
June Daugherty is in her seventh year at the helm of the Huskies establishing a record of 100-78. She is also in her 14th year as a head coach with a career record of 223-152.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 4-1 lead in the series against Washington. The series dates back to the 1978-79 season when Tech defeated the Huskies, 92-65, Dec. 16, 1978 at the Cal-Berkley Tournament. Tech won the next two meetings before Washington got its first win Nov. 22, 1994 in a 79-75 triumph in Seattle. The Lady Raiders were victorious in their last contest, 67-52, on March 23, 1995 in the NCAA Sweet 16 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Last Time Out
The Texas Tech women's basketball team finished up exhibition play with a 97-36 romping of the Houston Jaguars.
In that game, sophomore Cisti Greenwalt led the way recording a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while adding six blocks. Along with Greenwalt, Tech had five other players score in double figures: junior Miklannet Tennal (14), junior Casey Jackson (12), junior Jia Perkins (11), junior Natalie Ritchie (10) and freshman Jametra Clark (10). Clark also had a double-double as she grabbed 10 rebounds. Freshman Erin Grant dished out 11 assists and did not commit a turnover. Grant and freshman Chesley Dabbs both tallied four steals.
The Lady Raiders shot 52.7 percent from the field as they hit 39-of-74 shot attempts. Tech shot 42.9 percent from three-point range (6-for-14) and 68.4 percent from the free throw line (13-for-19).
Home Openers
Texas Tech owns a 25-2 mark in home openers and a 19-1 record under head coach Marsha Sharp. The Lady Raiders' only home-opening loss in the Sharp era was a 67-64 defeat to Grambling State Dec. 1, 1989. Last year Tech defeated North Texas, 63-53, on Dec. 2 in its first game in Lubbock.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech will host home games against Valparaiso (Nov. 27) and Creighton (Dec. 4). Tech will take to the road for a game against Wyoming (Dec. 14) in Casper, Wyo. That game will be a doubleheader with the men's team. The Lady Raiders head to Hawai'i for games on Dec. 20 against Chattanooga and on Dec. 21 against either Hawai'i or Loyola Marymount. Tech finishes the 2002 year with games at Southern Miss Dec. 28 and at Rice Dec. 30.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 479-154 in her 21st year at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Entering the 2002-03 season, Sharp was the seventh active winningest coach among Division I coaches. She has led the Lady Raiders to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 13 consecutive, and nine 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.
Sharp was also the head coach of the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team, which won the gold medal in Brazil.
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.
She's Back
Senior Plenette Pierson returned to action for the first time since Nov. 30, 2001 at New Mexico. Against Louisiana Tech, she poured in a game-high 25 points, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and career-high six blocks.
Pierson Hits 1000 Mark
Senior Plenette Pierson has now scored 1,003 points in her career at Texas Tech. Pierson entered the season with 978 points and scored 25 points in Tech's opening game against Louisiana Tech to surpass the 1,000-career mark.
New Kid on the Block
Freshman Erin Grant is making the impact that everyone had hoped. In her first collegiate game, Grant got her first start, while chipping in 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Exhibition Games
Texas Tech won both of its exhibition games with a 107-65 win over Spartak Moscow (Nov. 12) and a 97-36 victory over the Houston Jaguars (Nov. 17). Against Moscow, senior Plenette Pierson scored a game-high 22 points, while junior Jia Perkins added 21. Also scoring in double figures were sophomore Cisti Greenwalt with 15 and freshman LaToya Davis with 11. Pierson grabbed 14 rebounds and freshman Erin Grant dished out eight assists. Against the Jaguars, Greenwalt poured in 20 points and junior Miklannet Tennal chipped in 14. Junior Casey Jackson scored 12, while Perkins had 11. Junior Natalie Ritchie and freshman Jametra Clark each had 10 points. Greenwalt and Clark had 10 boards apiece, while Grant tallied 11 assists. Greenwalt also had six blocks.
Tech Preseason Conference Favorites
Texas Tech was picked to win its fourth Big 12 Conference women's basketball title in preseason polls voted on by the league's head coaches and by the media. In the coaches poll, Tech was first with 114 points, including six first-place votes, followed by Kansas State with 113 and Texas with 105. In the media poll, Tech received 192 points and nine first-place votes, while edging Kansas State with 191 points and seven first-place votes. Texas was third with 173 and one first-place vote.
Sharp One of the Elite
Head coach Marsha Sharp's .75753 winning percentage ranks seventh among winningest active coaches. Entering the 2002-03 season, Sharp had a 478-153 career record according to NCAA standards. The NCAA does not include forfeits in the overall record, which is 479-153. Sharp won a game by forfeit during the 1988-89 season against Baylor.
Pierson and Perkins Picked as One of Best at Their Positions
Senior Plenette Pierson and junior Jia Perkins have been nabbed as one of the top five in the country at their respective positions by ESPN.com. Pierson was named one of the top five power forwards along with Oklahoma's Caton Hill, LSU's Aiysha Smith, Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas and Kansas State's Kendra Wecker. Perkins was listed on the top five off-guards list along with Duke's Alana Beard, Penn State's Kelly Mazzante, Connecticut's Diana Taurasi and Minnesota's Lindsay Wilson. Tech was one of five schools (Vanderbilt, Kansas State, LSU and Mississippi State) to have two players listed at the five positions.
Pierson on ESPN.com
Senior Plenette Pierson will be writing a weekly diary for ESPN.com. Pierson will be giving a weekly update about herself and the Lady Raiders throughout the 2002-03 season.
Summer Success
Marsha Sharp was the head coach of the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team that captured the gold medal in Brazil with an unblemished 4-0 record and qualified USA Basketball for the 2003 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship For Young Women. Tech's Jia Perkins was a member of the 12-person squad. Perkins was one of five Big 12 players represented on the team. Louisiana Tech's Amber Obaze was also a member of the team.
Sharp Selected USA Basketball 2002 Developmental Coach of the Year
Head coach Marsha Sharp was named USA Basketball 2002 Developmental Coach of the Year. USA Basketball's Developmental Coach of the Year award was established in 1996 to recognize a USA Basketball head coach who, during the year of the award, made significant impact on the success of individual athlete and team performance at the developmental level.
Ritchie Named Female Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year
In July, junior Natalie Ritchie was named the female Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year. Ritchie's commitment to sportsmanship is led by her devotion and kindness. The Amarillo, Texas native averaged 10.6 points in 32 games last season. While assisting the Lady Raiders to their 2002 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance, Ritchie still found time to exercise her generosity and to show genuine concern for others. Ritchie visits local hospitals, churches and other community agencies. She also finds time to meet with fans, encourage students and to give motivational speeches on a variety of topics, in addition to her full schedule as a student-athlete. Ritchie also volunteers at Race for the Cure, Special Olympics and the Ronald McDonald House.
Nagle Sidelined
Senior Jamie Nagle will be sidelined after having lateral meniscus repair done to her right knee. Nagle is expected to sit out until at least December.
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 195 weeks. That includes this week's polls which Tech is ranked 13th in both the AP poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll.
RPI
In the preseason WBCA/Summerville RPI (rate percentage index) strength of schedule, Texas Tech ranks 18th for non-conference games and second in all games for the 2002-03 season.
