Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Set For NCAA Second Round
March 24, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 24, 2003
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* NCAA Tournament * Second Round - Midwest Region
No. 2 Seed #7/8 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (27-5)
vs.
No. 7 Seed #18/17 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (27-4)
March 25, 2003 * Lubbock, Texas * 8:19 p.m.
Television - ESPN2
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Tuesday's Game
No. 2 seed and seventh/eighth-ranked Texas Tech (27-5) faces No. 7 seed and 18th/17th UC Santa Barbara (27-4) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Region on Tuesday, March 25 at 8:19 p.m. on ESPN2. Beth Mowins and Van Chancellor will be calling the game for ESPN2. The game can also be heard on the All Sports Radio Network as Ryan Hyatt and Crystal Boles call the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 27-5 on the year and finished third in the Big 12 with a 13- 3 record. On the year, senior Plenette Pierson leads the team in scoring with an 18.0 average followed by junior Jia Perkins at 16.2. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.8 boards per outing. Pierson is shooting 51.8 percent from the field and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt is also shooting 51.1 percent. Junior Miklannet Tennal is shooting 36.5 percent from three-point range, while junior Natalie Ritchie is shooting 32.5 percent. Freshman Erin Grant has a team-high 213 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 79. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 75 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 31.4 percent from three-point range and 67 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
No. 7 seed UC Santa Barbara enters the game with a 27-4 overall record after beating No. 10 seed Xavier, 71-62, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In that game, sophomore Mia Fisher scored a team-high 14 points followed by junior Lindsay Taylor with 13, sophomore Kristen Mann with 12 and senior Jess Hensen with 12. Sophomore Brandy Richardson had 11 rebounds and four blocks, while senior Debby Caine dished out seven assists.
On the year, Taylor paces the Gauchos in scoring with a 16.0 average followed by Mann at 14.5, Hansen at 10.7 and Fisher at 10.7. Richardson is the top rebounder as she is averaging 9.4 boards per contest. Caine leads the team in assists with 123, while Fisher has a team-high 39 steals. Taylor is the top shot blocker with 55 blocks. UCSB is shooting 47 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range, 73.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Mark French is in his 16th year at the helm of the Gauchos establishing a record of 331-147. He is also in his 24th year as a head coach with a career record of 429-261.
Series Record
It is the second meeting between Texas Tech and UC Santa Barbara with the Lady Raiders holding a 1-0 advantage. Tech beat the Gauchos, 102-69, Dec. 3, 1982 in Marsha Sharp's first year as a Texas Tech's head coach.
Common Opponents
Texas Tech and UC Santa Barbara had one common opponent this season in Pacific. The Lady Raiders beat Pacific, 76-45, Jan. 5 in Lubbock. The Gauchos face Pacific three times this year, twice in regular-season conference play and once in the Big West Conference Tournament. UCSB won two of the three meetings. UCSB lost the first game, 74-65, Jan. 18 in Stockton, Calif. and then won the next two games: 66-37 in Santa Barbara Feb. 5 and 68-50 March 15 in the championship game of the conference tournament in Anaheim, Calif.
Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament
Texas Tech is making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its 14th-consecutive bid into the event. The Lady Raiders have ad-vanced to the Sweet 16 eight times, the Elite Eight three times, the Final Four once and won the National Championship in 1993. Tech is hosting the first and second rounds for the sixth-straight year.
A Win on Tuesday Would...
...give Tech a 10-3 second round record
...give Tech a 19-1 home record in the NCAA Tournament
...give Tech an overall record of 26-14 in the NCAA Tournament
Last Time vs. Out
(AP) - Whenever Texas Tech struggled, Plenette Pierson was there to pick up the Lady Raiders.
Pierson had 25 points and 13 rebounds as Tech beat Southwest Mis-souri State 67-59 in the first round of the Midwest Regional on Sunday night. Second-seeded Texas Tech (27-5) led by six at halftime and as many as 17 in the second half before the 15th-seeded Lady Bears (18-13) rallied, pulling within six in the game's final minute.
Kari Koch scored 19 points and Jenni Lingor had 16 to lead Southwest Missouri State.
Pierson scored 15 of her points in the second half.
Pierson's inside presence helped Tech outrebound Southwest Missouri 45-24.
Jia Perkins added 14 points for the Lady Raiders, who won their ninth consecutive subregional tournament game dating to 1999.
Southwest Missouri State had the momentum midway through the first half after scoring on seven consecutive possessions to take a 23-19 lead. The Lady Bears baffled Tech through much of the first half with a 2-3 matchup zone that forced the Lady Raiders to shoot from the outside. Tech had little luck, misfiring on all eight of its 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. But Tech bounced back. The Lady Raiders held SMS scoreless for the final 4:54 and scored the last 10 points of the half to take a 29-23 lead.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech his-tory, head coach Marsha Sharp is 506-158 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 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 14 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.
Seventh Double-Double for Pierson
Senior Plenette Pierson tallied her seventh double-double of the sea-son with 25 points and 13 rebounds against Southwest Missouri State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It also marked her 21st double-double of her career.
Pierson Seventh All-Time in Rebounds
Senior Plenette Pierson's 13 rebounds against Southwest Missouri State moved her to seventh on Tech's all-time list for rebounds with 753.
Ritchie in Top Four
Junior Natalie Ritchie attempted 13 three-pointer against Southwest Missouri State to move her to fourth on Texas Tech's all-time list for three-point field goal attempts with 428.
Tech Knocks Off Top 10 Team
Texas Tech defeated No. 4 Kansas State, 73-64, March 6 in Lubbock which was the first win over a top 10 team since beating No. 9 Iowa State, 78- 66, Jan. 19, 2002. It was also the first time the Lady Raiders have beaten at top five team since defeating No. 3 Vanderbilt, 81-71, Dec. 29, 2001. Tech then beat No. 5/7 Kansas State, 71-65, in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. The game against Texas in the championship of the Big 12 Tournament marks the fourth time in five games Tech has faced a top 10 opponent.
All-Tournament Team
Senior Plenette Pierson and junior Jia Perkins were both named to the All-Tournament team of the 2003 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. In the three games, Pierson averaged 18.3 points and nine rebounds while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. Perkins aver-aged 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Grant Scores Career High
Freshman Erin Grant scored a career-high 18 points against Texas in the championship game of the Big 12 Tournament. Her previous high was 16 at Oklahoma.
Sixth Double-Double for Pierson
Senior Plenette Pierson recorded her sixth double-double of the season as she had 22 points and 11 rebounds in the Big 12 Tournament semifinal game against Kansas State.
Pierson Up the Charts
After the game against Southwest Missouri State, senior Plenette Pierson has scored 1,554 career points, which ranks sixth all-time. She also ranks third in free throw attempts (620), fourth in free throws made (384), seventh in rebounds (753), eighth in field goals made (585), eighth in field goal attempts (1163) and eighth in blocks (113).
Perkins Up To Ninth in Scoring
Junior Jia Perkins scored 21 points against Oklahoma State (3/12) to move her to ninth on Tech's all-time scoring list. She currently has 1,467 points.
Perkins Has All-Around Game, Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Not only did junior Jia Perkins scored 26 points against No. 4 Kansas State, she also added five rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. For her performance, she was named Big 12 Player of the Week March 7. . Award Finalists Senior Plenette Pierson has been named a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award and the Senior CLASS Award, while freshman Erin Grant is a nominee for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is presented to the top point guard in the country. Head coach Marsha Sharp is a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year. 21st 20-Win Season Texas Tech got its 21st 20-win season and its 14th-straight 20-win sea-son with the win over Texas A&M. Tech also had three 30-win seasons within those 14-straight 20-win seasons. Big 12 and Tech Record Texas Tech holds the Big 12 and school record for blocks in a season with 209.
