Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Host Baylor Saturday
January 10, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2003
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#8 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (12-1/1-0 Big 12) vs. Baylor Lady Bears (12-1/1-0 Big 12)
January 11, 2003 * Lubbock, Texas * 2 p.m.
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Saturday's Game
No. 8 Texas Tech (12-1/1-0) hosts Baylor (12-1/1-0) on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the 53rd meeting between the two schools. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Network with Ryan Hyatt and Crystal Boles calling the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 12-1 on the year and 1-0 in the Big 12 after beating Texas A&M, 77-56, last Wednesday in College Station, Texas. On the year, senior Plenette Pierson leads the team in scoring with an 18.6 average followed by junior Jia Perkins at 16.8 and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt at 10.5. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.6 boards per outing. Freshman Erin Grant is shooting a team-high 57.4 percent from the field, while Greenwalt is shoot-ing 54.5 percent. Junior Natalie Ritchie is shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range. Grant has a team-high 101 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 31. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 45 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 37 percent from three-point range and 65.4 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Baylor enters the game with a 12-1 overall record and 1-0 in the Big 12 after beating Missouri, 71-65, last Wednesday in Waco, Texas. In that game, sophomore Steffanie Blackmon and freshman Sophia Young each had 22 points, while junior Jessika Stratton added 14. Young grabbed 10 rebounds and sophomore Chelsea Whitaker had six assists. Whitaker and senior Stasha Richards each had three steals.
On the year, Blackmon paces the Lady Bears in scoring with a 20.4 average followed by Young at 12.2, Stratton at 11.1 and sophomore Melanie Hamerly at 10.4. Young is the top rebounder as she is averaging 9.7 boards per game. Stratton has team highs of 67 assists and 31 steals, while Whitaker also has 31 steals. Hamerly is the top shot blocker with 34 blocks. Baylor is shooting 51.1 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from the three-point line and 68.8 percent from the charity stripe.
Kim Mulkey-Robertson is in her third year at the helm of the Lady Bears and as a head coach with a career record of 60-16.
Series Record
It is the 53rd meeting between Texas Tech and Baylor with Tech holding a 42-10 advantage (including a forfeit in 1989). The Lady Raiders were 1-2 against Baylor last year. Tech won in Lubbock, 83-63, Jan. 16, while Baylor won the second game, 85-69, Feb. 9 in Waco and the third meeting, 75-60, March 6 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Last Time vs. Baylor
March 6, 2002 - Sheila Lambert scored 30 points to lead Baylor to a 75- 60 victory over No. 17 Texas Tech in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Confer-ence women's tournament.
Lambert was taken out of the game with 1:10 remaining when she was two points shy of the record of Nicole Kubik of Nebraska, who scored 32 points against Kansas in the second round, March 8, 2000. The Bears led 41-33 at halftime, sparked by 18 points from Lambert and 15-of-16 shooting from the free-throw line.
The Lady Raiders chipped away at the lead early in the second half. Perkins sank a free throw with 14:23 remaining to give Texas Tech a 49-48 margin. But Baylor scored the next six points before going on a 13-2 run to take a 67-52 lead with 6:44 left to play.
Texas Tech would get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way. The Bears beat that tradition with defense. Jessika Stratton added 12 points for Baylor.
Texas Tech was led by Jolee Ayers, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Perkins added 14 points and Natalie Ritchie had 13 for the Lady Raiders.
A Win Saturday Would...
- give head coach Marsha Sharp her 492nd career victory - just eight shy of her 500th career win
- give Tech a 43-10 record against Baylor
- give Tech a 13-game winning streak
Last Time Out
Plenette Pierson scored 25 points to lead No. 8 Texas Tech to a 77-56 victory over Texas A&M on Wednesday night.
Pierson missed her first two shots of the game. But with Tech holding a 7-6 lead, the senior forward scored the Red Raiders' next 10 points. Texas Tech (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) took a 41-21 lead at halftime, helped by Pierson's 17 points.
The nation's steal leader, Toccara Williams, had five of A&M's 14 swipes to move into second place all-time in Big 12 history. She also scored 10 points.
Jia Perkins added 20 points for Tech. Texas A&M (7-5, 0-1) lost its third straight game.
