Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Ready for Wednesday Big 12 Tourney Matchup
March 10, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 10, 2003
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No. 3 Seed #8/10 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (24-4/13-3 Big 12)
vs.
No. 6 Seed Missouri Tigers (15-12/9-7 Big 12)
OR
No. 11 Seed Oklahoma State Cowgirls (7-20/3-12 Big 12)
March 12, 2003 * Dallas, Texas * 8:30 p.m.
Television - Fox Sports Net
Reunion Arena (16,500)
Wednesday's Game
No. 3 seed and eighth/10th-ranked Texas Tech (24-4/13-3) will take on the winner of the No. 6 Missouri/No. 11 Oklahoma State game on Wednesday, March 12 at 8:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Reunion Arena in Dallas. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Net work as Ryan Hyatt and Crystal Boles call the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 24-4 on the year and finished the Big 12 with a 13-3 record after beating No. 4 Kansas State, 73-64, last Thursday. On the year, senior Plenette Pierson leads the team in scoring with a 17.7 average followed by junior Jia Perkins at 16.4. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.5 boards per outing. Pierson is shooting 51.2 percent from the field and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt is shooting 51.1 percent. Junior Miklannet Tennal is shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range, while junior Natalie Ritchie is shooting 33.6 percent. Freshman Erin Grant has a team-high 194 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 70. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 74 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range and 66.1 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent ~ Missouri
No. 6 seed Missouri enters the Big 12 Tournament with a 15-12 overall record and finished the Big 12 with a 9-7 mark.
On the year, junior Evan Unrau paces the Tigers in scoring with a 15.3 average followed by senior Kerensa Barr at 11.6. Unrau is the top rebounder as she is averaging 7.4 boards per outing. Barr has team highs of 136 assists and 67 steals. Junior Stretch James is the top shot blocker with 38 blocks. Missouri is shooting 41.9 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three-point range and 74.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Cindy Stein is in her fifth year at the helm of the Tigers establishing a record of 82-64. She is also in her eighth year as a head coach with a career record of 147-89.
Scouting the Opponent ~ Oklahoma State
No. 11 seed Oklahoma State enters the Big 12 Tournament with a 7-20 overall record and was 3-13 in the Big 12.
On the year, junior Trisha Skibbe paces the Cowgirls in scoring with a 17.1 average followed by freshman Meghan Craig at 8.1 and senior Thia Willis at 8.1. Skibbe is the top rebounder, averaging 7.6 boards per contest. Senior Chantoya Hawkins has team highs of 104 assists and 55 steals. Skibbe it the top shot blocker with 37 swats. OSU is shooting 35.7 percent from the field, 28.1 percent from the three-point line and 70.7 percent from the free throw line.
Julie Goodenough is in her first season at the helm of the Cowgirls establishing a record of 7-20. She is also in her 10th year as a head coach with a 195-74 career mark.
Series Records
Texas Tech holds a 7-2 advantage over Missouri. Tech won the first meeting this year, 84-50, Jan. 28 in Lubbock. The Lady Raiders also defeated Missouri, 78-51, March 5, 2002, in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Texas Tech is 16-11 against Oklahoma State. The Lady Raiders won both games this year, 95-45, Jan. 18 in Lubbock and in Stillwater, 83-48, Feb. 22. Last year, the Cowgirls were victorious, 58-55, Feb. 14 in Stillwater.
This Year vs. Missouri
Jan. 28, 2003 - Having limited Missouri to 13 points in the first half, Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp had an easy time telling her team what to focus on over the final 20 minutes.
The eighth-ranked Lady Raiders did exactly that, thanks in large part to a career-high 32 points from Plenette Pierson in an 84-50 victory Tuesday night.
Texas Tech wrapped up the victory in the early stages of the second half. After Missouri outscored Texas Tech 10-4 over the first four minutes of the second half to make it 43-23, the Lady Raiders went on a 13-0 run.
Pierson scored eight points in the run while Jolee Ayers, who had season-highs with nine points and 11 rebounds, scored four.
Missouri never got closer than 27 points the rest of the way.
Jia Perkins had 18 points for the Lady Raiders.
Stretch James paced Missouri with 16 points, including six of 10 points during the early second-half run. Pierson and Perkins each had six points as Texas Tech used a 17-0 run to take a 24-5 lead. Natalie Ritchie added a 3-pointer and Ayers had a follow shot as the Lady Raiders took command.
Missouri was held scoreless for nearly a six-minute stretch of the opening half. The Tigers finished the first half with four field goals and four free throws.
After James scored on a putback to cut the lead to 24-7, the Lady Raiders went on a 12-2 run. Pierson scored seven points during the run with a three-point play, a rebound basket and two free throws.
Texas Tech led 39-13 at halftime.
This Year 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 putback. 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.
Feb. 22, 2003 - Jia Perkins and Cisti Greenwalt scored 14 points apiece as eighth-ranked Texas Tech rolled to an 83-48 victory over Oklahoma State.
Natalie Ritchie added 13, and LaToya Davis had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Raiders, who made it an easy season sweep of Oklahoma State. They had beaten the Cowgirls by 50 points at home on Jan. 18.
Oklahoma State got 15 points from Trisha Skibbe, but shot just 25.7 percent and was overmatched in all areas. The Lady Raiders had a 59-24 advantage on the boards and blocked 13 shots to more than offset their 25 turnovers.
Texas Tech got points from five players in taking a 13-4 lead. After the Cowgirls got within 13-7, Tech went five trips without scoring but Oklahoma State did just the same, going 0-for-8 during that time.
The score was 17-11 when the Lady Raiders went on a 12-4 run to make it a 14-point lead with just under five minutes left before halftime. After the Cowgirls got within 31-20, Tech scored 11 points straight to go ahead 42-20.
Ritchie scored the first five points of the second half to give the Lady Raiders a 25-point lead. Oklahoma State got no closer than 21 points the rest of the way.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Jia Perkins' big game cost Kansas State a share of the Big 12 Conference title.
Perkins connected on all eight of her first-half shots and scored 26 points as No. 8 Texas Tech defeated No. 4 Kansas State 73-64 Thursday night.
Plenette Pierson added 23 points for Tech.
Tech's victory allowed No. 5 Texas to capture the league title. The Longhorns will enter next week's conference tournament as the top seed.
Kansas State, which had won 22 of its past 23 games, had its nine-game winning streak snapped.
The Lady Raiders pulled ahead late in the first half. The Wildcats had closed within five, 26-21, with 7:41 remaining, but Tech went on a 15-1 run over the next five minutes and seized a 41-22 lead at the 2:40 mark. Pierson and Perkins combined for nine points during the spurt.
Kansas State started the second half quickly, pulling within 11, 48-37, behind three baskets by Nicole Ohlde, but the Lady Raiders answered with eight straight points, taking a 56-37 at the 15:20 mark of the second half.
The Wildcats moved within 62-49 with 7:53 remaining on a three-point play by Ohlde, but Tech countered with baskets by Pierson, Perkins and LaToya Davis to make it a 68-49 lead with 6:10 left to play.
Kansas State cut a 16-point lead to nine with 1:08 left. Ohlde had three points as the Wildcats scored the final seven points of the game.
Kansas State was the highest-ranked opponent defeated by Tech since Dec. 29, 2001, when the Lady Raiders beat No. 3 Vanderbilt 81-71.
Ohlde and Wecker each scored 22 points for the Wildcats.
A Look Ahead
After the Big 12 Tournament concludes, Texas Tech will host first- and second-rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Lubbock March 23 and 25.
