Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 8 Lady Raiders Set To Host Pacific
January 03, 2003 | Women's Basketball
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#8/9 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (10-1/0-0 Big 12)
vs.
Pacific Tigers (3-8/0-1 Big West)
January 5, 2003 * Lubbock, Texas * 2 p.m.
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Sunday's Game
No. 8/9 Texas Tech (10-1) hosts Pacific (3-8) Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the second 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 10-1 on the year after beating Rutgers, 94-81, last Thursday. On the year, senior Plenette Pierson leads the team in scoring with an 18.4 average followed by junior Jia Perkins at 16.8 and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt at 11.0. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.3 boards per outing. Greenwalt is shooting a team-high 58.3 percent from the field. Junior Miklannet Tennal is shooting 40 percent from three-point range, while junior Natalie Ritchie is shooting 37.5 percent. Freshman Erin Grant has a team high of 86 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 26. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 41 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 47.9 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from three-point range and 66.4 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Pacific enters the game with a 3-8 overall record and 0-1 in the Big West after losing at Idaho, 74-53, last Thursday. In that game, junior Andrea Nederostek scored a team-high 14 points, while junior Nancy Dinges added 12 points. Nederostek and senior Vanessa Dupont each had five rebounds. Senior Ahshalic Johnson tallied three assists, while junior Jasmine Ewing recorded four blocks.
On year, junior Gillian d'Hondt leads the Tigers in scoring with a 12.0 average followed by Dinges at 11.8. d'Hondt is the top rebounder, grabbing 6.5 boards per outing. Junior Corinne Wong has team highs of 32 assists and 27 steals. d'Hondt and Ewing lead the team in blocks with 11 apiece. Pacific is shooting 37.2 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from the three-point line and 64 percent from the charity stripe.
Craig Jackson is in his first year at the helm of the Tigers and as a head coach with a record of 3-8.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 1-0 mark against Pacific. The Lady Raiders defeated the Tigers, 81-61, Dec. 17, 1995 at the Oakland Tribune Classic.
A Win Sunday Would...
...give head coach Marsha Sharp her 490th career victory - just 10 shy of her 500th career win
...give Tech a 2-0 record against Pacific
...give Tech an 11-game winning streak
...give Tech an 11-1 record - their best start since the 1999-00 season when they went 11-1
Last Time Out
(AP) - In a game that with all the trappings of a postseason showdown, Texas Tech's Plenette Pierson wanted to make sure she elevated her play.
Pierson matched her career high with 31 points and added a career-high 17 rebounds in leading the eighth-ranked Lady Raiders to a 94-81 victory Thursday night over Rutgers. Erin Grant, the Lady Raiders' point guard, turned in her first double-double with 11 points and 12 assists in helping Tech win its 10th consecutive game.
Natalie Ritchie added 18 points and Cisti Greenwalt 14 for the Lady Raiders (10-1).
Texas Tech led 48-35 at halftime, but Rutgers started the second half quickly and pulled to 55-44 with 16:53 remaining on a layup by Dawn McCullouch.
Grant hit a 3-pointer and Pierson scored inside, pushing the lead to 60-44 with 15:41 to go.
Rutgers (6-3) put together another charge later in the second half, outscoring the Lady Raiders 15-8 and pulling to 70-62 on a 3-pointer by Chelsea Newton with 7:51 remaining.
Cappie Pondexter scored eight of her 29 points during the surge.
Tech, however, responded by scoring seven of the next 11 points to take an 86-74 lead.
Jia Perkins finished with 10 points for Texas Tech. Shalicia Hurns had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Rutgers.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech opens Big 12 play Jan. 8 at Texas A&M at 7 p.m. The Lady Raiders return home for a game with Baylor Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. On Jan. 11, Tech will be honoring the 1993 National Championship team. Tech will play at Oklahoma Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. and host Oklahoma State Jan. 18 at 3 p.m.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 489-154 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.
Pierson Lights It Up
Senior Plenette Pierson matched her career-high 31 points while adding a career-high 17 rebounds against Rutgers. It marked her second double-double of the season and the 17th of her career.
Grant Records First Double-Double
Freshman Erin Grant recorded her first double-double as a Lady Raider against Rutgers. Grant had 11 points and 12 assists. It was also the fourth time this year she has had 10 or more assists, including a career-high 14 versus Washington.
All Five Starters Hit Double Digits
All five starters scored in double figures in Tech's victory over Rutgers. Senior Plenette Pierson led the way with 31 followed by junior Natalie Ritchie with 18, sophomore Cisti Greenwalt with 14, freshman Erin Grant with 11 and junior Jia Perkins with 10.
Third Time of 90 or More Points
For the third time this season, Texas Tech scored 90 or more points in a game with 94 points against Rutgers. The Lady Raiders scored 99 against Washington and 98 versus Creighton earlier this season.
Largest Crowd of Season
The 13,859 fans in attendance for the Rutgers game marked the largest crowd at the United Spirit Arena this season. It was also the 10th-largest crowd ever for women's basketball at the USA.
Pierson, Perkins Moving Up Scoring List
Senior Plenette Pierson has now scored 1,180 points in her career at Texas Tech, which ranks 13th all-time. Standing in 12th is Julie Lake (1995-99) with 1,192. Junior Jia Perkins has scored 1,133 points at Tech, which is 14th on the career scoring list.
Block Party
Sophomore Cisti Greenwalt and senior Plenette Pierson rank seventh and ninth, respectively on Tech's all-time career list for blocks. Greenwalt is eighth with 101 blocks, while Pierson in ninth with 86.
Dishing Out
Freshman Erin Grant has recorded four games of 10 or more assists: Valpo (10), Washington (14), Creighton (10), Rutgers (12). For the year, she has totaled 86 assists for an average of 7.8 assists per contest. Perkins in Double Digits Again
Junior Jia Perkins poured in 10 points in the victory over Rutgers. Perkins has scored in double figures in all 11 games this season and the only Lady Raider to do so.
Grant Just Shy of Triple-Double and Plays First 40-Minute Game
Freshman Erin Grant was just shy of a triple-double at Rice as she had 11 points, nine assists and a career-high eight rebounds. Grant also added career highs of three steals and one block while playing her first 40-minute game at Texas Tech.
First Double-Double of Season for Greenwalt
Sophomore Cisti Greenwalt recorded her first double-double of the season with 21 points and a season-high 11 rebounds at Southern Miss. It also marked her fifth double-double of her career.
Tennal Scores Career High
Junior Miklannet Tennal came off the bench to score a career-high seven points, while tying her career highs of two rebounds and five assists at Southern Miss.
Assisting Ritchie
Junior Natalie Ritchie tallied a career-high five assists at Southern Miss. Ritchie's previous career high was three assists on five occasions.
Tech Captures Tournament Title
Texas Tech captured the 2002 Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic title in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The Lady Raiders defeated Chattanooga and host Hawaii to claim the tournament title. Senior Plenette Pierson was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament as she averaged 16.5 points a game and shot 57.1 percent from the field. Junior Jia Perkins was also named to the All-Tournament team as she averaged 12 points in the two games.
Clark Comes Off Bench For Career Highs
Redshirt freshman Jametra Clark came off the bench to record career highs of eight points and six rebounds against Hawai'i.
Season High Rebounds and Assists for Ayers and Jackson
Juniors Jolee Ayers and Casey Jackson tallied season highs in rebounds and assists at Hawai'i. Ayers had eight rebounds and four assists, while Jackson got eight rebounds and three assists.
Perkins Dishes Season High
Junior Jia Perkins tallied a season-high six assists at Hawai'i. Her career-high is 10, which she has had three times.
Low Turnovers
Texas Tech committed a season low of six turnovers in its victory over Hawai'i. The school record for fewest turnovers in a game is five, which occurred against Texas A&M Jan. 31, 1983.
Season Lows
Tech's 66 points in its win over Chattanooga marked a season low for the Lady Raiders. Tech had a season low free throw percentage of 50 percent.
Greenwalt Puts Up Career Highs
Sophomore Cisti Greenwalt poured in a career-high 26 points while adding a career-high eight rebounds in Texas Tech's win over Wyoming in 22 minutes of action. Greenwalt shot 76.9 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. She is now tied for eighth on Tech's all-time career list for blocks with 80. The eight blocks is also second-best in Big 12 history behind former Tech standout Crystal Boles' nine. Greenwalt is shooting 61.5 percent from the field for the year.
Tech Ties Blocks Record
Texas Tech tied its school record of 13 blocked shots in a game. Tech has now had 13 swats on four occasions in school history.
Perkins Joins Elite Club
Junior Jia Perkins poured in a career-high 41 points against Creighton to become just the fourth player in school history to score 40 or more points in a game. Perkins joins Sheryl Swoopes, Alicia Thompson and Carolyn Thompson on that list. Her 41 points ranks sixth for most points scored in a game by an individual; it tied Thompson's 41 points against Oklahoma on Feb. 18, 1982.
Perkins Has Career Day, Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Not only did junior Jia Perkins score a career-high 41 points against Creighton, she also had a career-high 12 rebounds, while tying her career high of six steals. It also marked her first double-double of the season. She was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Dec. 9 for her efforts vs. Creighton.
Grant Named Big 12 Rookie of the Week and Sets Freshman Record
Freshman Erin Grant was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Nov. 25 for her performances against Louisiana Tech and Washington. Grant set the freshman record for assists in a game as she dished out 14 against Washington, while committing only two turnovers. She tallied 13 points and six assists against Louisiana Tech. She is averaging 10 assists a game, a team high. She also leads the team in free throw percentage at 87.5. The previous was 10 by Jia Perkins against Southeast Louisiana Dec. 19, 2000 and against USC Dec. 22, 2000.
On the Tube
The Lady Raiders will make seven national or regional television appearances in regular-season play this season. Tech will appear on ESPN2 twice and Fox Sports Net five times. Tech lost to Louisiana Tech on ESPN2 on Nov. 10 and will play Iowa State Feb. 9 on ESPN2. The Lady Raiders' games on Fox Sports Net include: Washington (Nov. 24), Oklahoma State (Jan. 18), at Colorado (Jan. 26), Texas (Mar. 2) and Kansas State (Mar. 6).
RPI
As of games through Jan. 1, Texas Tech was ranked second in the WBCA/Summerville RPI (rate percentage index).
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 201 weeks. That includes this week's Associated Press poll in which Tech is ranked eighth and ninth in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches poll.
