Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Travel To Stillwater To Face Cowgirls
February 20, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2003
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#8/9 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (21-3/10-2 Big 12)
vs.
Oklahoma State Cowgirls (6-17/2-10 Big 12)
February 22, 2003 * Stillwater, Okla. * 7 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Saturday's Game
No. 8/9 Texas Tech (21-3/10-2) plays at Oklahoma State (6-17/2-10) on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. It is the 27th meeting between the two schools. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Network as Ryan Hyatt calls the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 21-3 on the year and 10-2 in the Big 12 after beating Oklahoma, 59-48, last Wednesday. On the year, senior Plenette Pierson leads the team in scoring with an 18.4 average followed by junior Jia Perkins at 15.9. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.5 boards per outing. Pierson is shooting 51.7 percent from the field. Junior Miklannet Tennal is shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range, while junior Natalie Ritchie is shooting 36.2 percent. Grant has a team-high 170 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 57. Sophomore Cisti Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 66 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 66.2 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
Oklahoma State enters the game with a 6-17 overall record and 2-10 in the Big 12 after picking up its second conference victory in a 64-55 win over Baylor in Stillwater last Wednesday. In that game, junior Trisha Skibbe scored a game-high 25 points. Skibbe also recorded a double-double as she grabbed 12 rebounds. Junior Deidra Johnson dished out five assists, while Skibbe tallied seven steals.
On the year, Skibbe paces the Cowgirls in scoring with a 17.1 average followed by freshman Meghan Craig at 8.0. Skibbe is the top rebounder as she is averaging 7.5 boards per contest. Senior Chantoya Hawkins has team highs of 84 assists and 48 steals. Skibbe is the top shot blocker with 31 blocks. OSU is shooting 36.3 percent from the field, 27.8 percent from three-point range and 70.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Julie Goodenough is in her first year at the helm of the Cowgirls establishing a record of 6-17. She is also in her 10th year as a head coach with a career record of 194-71.
Series Record
It is the 27th meeting between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State with the Lady Raiders holding a 15-11 advantage. The Lady Raiders won the first meeting this year, 95-45, Jan. 18 in Lubbock. Last year, the Cowgirls were victorious, 58-55, Feb. 14 in Stillwater. Tech is 5-7 in Stillwater with its last win there on Jan. 6, 2001 in a 67-55 victory.
Last Time vs. Oklahoma State
Jan. 18, 2003 - Jia Perkins scored 16 points and Erin Grant added 12 points and 11 assists as the Lady Raiders won their 15th consecutive game with a 95-45 victory over Oklahoma State.
The Lady Raiders went on a 21-4 run early in the game and never relented.
Tech took control early, starting a 15-0 run three minutes into the game for a 22-6 lead. Plenette Pierson scored eight of her 13 points during the run. Perkins hit two mid-range jumpers, a layup and a put-back. Grant added two baskets.
Trisha Skibbe led Oklahoma State with 16 points.
Tech extended the lead to 34-16 with 5:50 left in the half, then went on a 9-2 run to go up 43-18 at halftime. Cisti Greenwalt connected on four free throws during that run.
Grant hit three straight shots in the second half as the Lady Raiders scored on their first six possessions of the half for a 55-23 lead.
Chesley Dabbs added 11 points for the Lady Raiders.
A Win Saturday Would...
...give head coach Marsha Sharp her 501st-career victory
...give Tech a 22-3 overall record and 11-2 in the Big 12
...give Tech a 16-11 record against Oklahoma State
Last Time Out
(AP) - When it came to Wednesday's milestone victory, Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp was realistic. But her players were euphoric about her 500th win.
Sharp became the 22nd NCAA Division I women's coach to reach the 500-victory mark as the eighth-ranked Lady Raiders overcame a nine-point first-half deficit to defeat Oklahoma 59-48.
Plenette Pierson scored 23 points as Texas Tech (21-3, 10-2 Big 12) bounced back from Saturday's conference loss at Baylor.
Oklahoma (15-10, 6-6) has lost all six of its games against Top 10 teams this season.
Sharp, 50, has already clinched her 14th straight 20-win season. She has led the Lady Raiders to 16 NCAA tournaments, including the last 13, and their only national championship in 1993 when Sheryl Swoopes was playing.
Oklahoma held a 31-27 lead with 16:12 to play following a 3-point basket by Chelsi Welch, who led the Sooners with 23 points. The Lady Raiders took control with 14 straight points in a four-minute span to lead 41-31. Pierson and Jolee Ayers combined to score the first nine points of the run before Natalie Ritchie hit a 3-pointer that pushed the Tech lead to 39-31. Erin Grant capped the run with a 12-foot jumper.
The Sooners never got closer than seven points the rest of the game.
Oklahoma had just a 25-23 lead at halftime after Welch hit a baseline jumper for the last of her 12 first-half points.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech travels to Nebraska Feb. 26 for 7:05 p.m. game. The game will be televised in Lubbock on UPN22. The Lady Raiders will conclude the 2002-03 regular season with two home games; March 2 against Texas at 12:30 p.m. and March 6 versus Kansas State at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 500-156 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.
500 and Counting
Head coach Marsha Sharp claimed her 500th-career victory with a 59-48 win over Oklahoma Feb. 19. Sharp became just the 22nd NCAA Division I coach to reach the 500 plateau.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Feb. 17, freshman Erin Grant is eighth (top freshman) in assists per game (7.0), sophomore Cisti Greenwalt ranks 11th in blocked shots per game (2.8) and senior Plenette Pierson is 40th in scoring (18.2) among all NCAA Division I players. As a team, Texas Tech ranks second in blocked shots per game (7.1), sixth in scoring margin (19.7), sixth in field goal percentage defense (34.5), won-lost percentage (87.0), ninth in scoring offense (78.7), ninth in field goal percentage (47.6), 11th in turnovers per game (14.3), 15th in rebound margin (7.3) and 21st in assists per game (17.6).
21st 20-Win Season
Texas Tech got its 21st 20-win season and its 14th-straight 20-win season with the win over Texas A&M. Tech also had three 30-win seasons within those 14-straight 20-win seasons.
Perkins' Streak Ends
Junior Jia Perkins double figure scoring streak came to end against Oklahoma as she scored just seven points on the night. Perkins had scored in double digits in 28-straight games dating back to the Missouri game March 5, 2001. Back-to-Back Double-Doubles for Pierson Senior Plenette Pierson recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 23 points and 12 rebounds against Oklahoma. She had her fourth double-double of the season in the game prior with 22 points and 12 rebounds at Baylor. She has 19 career double-doubles.
Davis a Spark Off the Bench
Freshman LaToya Davis came off the bench and scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in helping Texas Tech defeat Oklahoma.
Perkins Cracks Top 10
Junior Jia Perkins scored seven points against Oklahoma (2/19) to move her to 10th on Tech's all-time scoring list with 1,330. Senior Plenette Pierson stands in eighth with 1,420 career points.
Grant Gets Another Double Digit Assist Game
Freshman Erin Grant recorded her sixth game of the season of 10 or more assists. Grant tallied 13 assists at Baylor. She holds the freshman record for assists in a season with 170, which also ranks eighth on Tech's single-season list for assists. For the year, she has totaled 162 assist for a 7.0 average. Her six games of 10 or more assists have come against Valpo (10), Washington (14), Creighton (10), Rutgers (12), Oklahoma State (11), at Baylor (13).
Stealing Jia
Junior Jia Perkins matched her career-high six steals at Baylor. It marked the fifth time in her career and the third of the season. She currently ranks fifth all-time on Tech's career steals list with 235.
Jackson Dishes Out New High, Again
For the third-straight game, junior Casey Jackson dished out a new career-high nine assists against Texas A&M. In the previous game against Iowa State, Jackson had a then career-high five assists and prior to that game she tied her then career-high four assists at Kansas.
Second Double-Double for Greenwalt
Sophomore Cisti Greenwalt recorded her second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds against Texas A&M.
Clark Scores Career High
Freshman Jametra Clark scored a career-high 11 points against Texas A&M breaking her old career high of eight points at Hawai'i.
Dabbs Put of Career Numbers
Freshman Chesley Dabbs recorded career highs of four rebounds and four assists, while she tied her career highs of one steal and one block against Texas A&M.
Season High from the Charity Stripe
Texas Tech shot a season-high 88.2 percent from the free throw line against the Aggies. Tech was 15-of-17 from the line.
Opponent Low
Texas Tech held Texas A&M to 38 points, which marked the lowest amount of points Tech has allowed this season. Their previous low was the 40 points Hawai'i scored Dec. 21.
Outshooting Opponents
Texas Tech has outshot its opponents in all 24 games this season. Tech shot a season-high 62.5 percent against Oklahoma State and a season-low 33.9 percent against Baylor. The Lady Raiders have shot 50 percent or better seven times this year.
Career Highs for Tennal
Junior Miklannet Tennal came off the bench and scored a career-high 12 points as she hit a career-high four three-pointers against Iowa State. Tennal also added a career-high three rebounds in 17 minutes of play. She finished the game 4-for-5 from the field - all three-point attempts.
Season High 3-Point Shooting
Texas Tech shot a season-high 60 percent from behind the three-point arc against Iowa State. Tech went 6-for-10 from the three-point line.
New Career High for Pierson
Senior Plenette Pierson scored a career-high 32 points against Missouri, as her previous career high was 31. For the night, Pierson was 10-of-13 from the field and 12-of-15 from the free throw line.
Season Highs for Ayers
Junior Jolee Ayers recorded season highs of nine points and 11 rebounds in her first start of the season against Missouri.
Two Freshmen Start, First Time Since 1995-96
Freshmen Erin Grant and LaToya Davis were both in the starting lineup at Colorado to mark the first time two freshmen have started the same game since Rene Hanebutt and Julie Lake in 1995-96.
Ritchie Ties Career High
Junior Natalie Ritchie tied her career-high 21 points, which is also a season high, at Colorado. Ritchie sank a season-high five three-pointers. She has now had 21 points four times in her career.
Career Swats for Ayers
Junior Jolee Ayers swatted a career-high four blocks against Texas. Her previous career high was three on three occasions.
Season Low Points
Texas Tech was held to a season-low 58 points in its loss at Texas. The Lady Raiders previous lowest output was 62 points against Baylor.
Tech Ties Blocks Record
Texas Tech tied its school record of 13 blocked shots in a game against Wyoming. Tech has now had 13 swats on four occasions in school history.
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 (85-76) and beat Iowa State (70-48) on ESPN2. The Lady Raiders' games on Fox Sports Net include: Washington (W, 99-67), Oklahoma State (W, 95-45), at Colorado (W, 80-58), Texas (Mar. 2) and Kansas State (Mar. 6).
RPI
As of games through Feb. 19, Texas Tech was ranked fifth 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 208 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.
