Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Face Duke For Trip To Final Four
March 30, 2003 | Women's Basketball
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* NCAA Tournament *
Elite Eight - Midwest Regional
No. 2 Seed #7/8 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (29-5)
vs.
No. 1 Seed #2/1 Duke Blue Devils (34-1)
March 31, 2003 * Albuquerque, N.M. * 8:30 p.m. CST
Television - ESPN
University Arena/The Pit (16,180)
Monday's Game
No. 2 seed and seventh/eighth-ranked Texas Tech (29-5) faces No. 1 seed second/first-ranked Duke (34-1) in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional in Albuquerque, N.M. at 8:30 p.m. CST. Dave Barnett and Nancy Lieberman will be calling the game and Debbie Antonelli will be the sideline reporter for ESPN. 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 29-5 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 a 17.9 average followed by junior Jia Perkins at 16.3. Pierson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.9 boards per outing. Pierson is shooting 50.9 percent from the field and sophomore Cisti Greenwalt is also shooting 50.8 percent. Junior Miklannet Tennal is shooting 35.9 percent from three-point range, while junior Natalie Ritchie is shooting 32.6 percent. Freshman Erin Grant has a team-high 225 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 87. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 77 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from three-point range and 67 percent from the free throw line.
Scouting the Opponent
No. 1 seed Duke enters the game with a 34-1 record after beating No. 5 seed Georgia, 66-63, in the semifinals of the Midwest Regional on Saturday. In that game, junior Iciss Tillis scored a game-high 21 points followed by junior Alana Beard with 12 and freshman Mistie Bass with 10. Freshman Lindsey Harding and Beard each grabbed five rebounds. Beard and Harding each added five assists.
On the year, Beard paces the Blue Devils in scoring with a 21.6 average followed by Tillis at 14.8. Tillis is the top rebounder as she is averaging 7.5 boards per contest. Harding leads the team in assists with 115, while Beard has team highs of 101 steals and 44 blocks. Duke is shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from behind the three-point arc and 73.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Gail Goestenkors is in her 11th year at the helm of the Blue Devils establishing a record of 271-83.
Series Record
It is the second meeting between Texas Tech and Duke with the Blue Devils holding a 1-0 advantage. Duke defeat the Lady Raiders, 85-69, Nov. 11, 2001 in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic in Durham, N.C.
Common Opponents
Texas Tech and Duke had just one common opponent this season as both teams played Iowa State once. Duke beat the Cyclones, 88-59, Dec. 29 in the South Padre Shootout in Los Fresnos, Texas. The Lady Raiders defeated ISU, 70-48, Feb. 9 in Lubbock.
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 advanced to the Sweet 16 10 times (five straight), the Elite Eight four times, the Final Four once and won the National Championship in 1993.
A Win on Monday Would...
...give Tech a 30-5 record - its fifth 30-win season in school history and its first since the 1998-99 season (30-4)
...advance Tech to its second NCAA Final Four - the first time since 1993 when the Lady Raiders won the National Championship in Atlanta, Ga.
...give head coach Marsha Sharp her 509th career victory
Last Time Out
(AP) - New Mexico and The Pit were no match for Texas Tech's quickness, scoring and deep bench.
The second-seeded Lady Raiders, not intimidated by the partisan sellout crowd of 16,182, got 16 points from Plenette Pierson and used an 18-0 run late in the first half to beat the Lobos 71-48 in the semifinals of the Midwest Regional on Saturday night.
Texas Tech (29-5) will meet top-seed Duke (34-1) in Monday's regional championship, with the winner moving on to the Final Four in Atlanta. Duke beat fifth-seed Georgia 66-63 in the other semifinal here.
Tech scored the final 18 points of the first half, holding New Mexico scoreless over the final 7:43. The Lobos missed 11 shots, had four turnovers and several airballs in that span.
The Lady Raiders also had plenty of offense, hitting 30 of 60 shots. Tech became the first opponent in 86 games to shoot 50 percent against New Mexico.
Sixth-seeded New Mexico (24-9) had used its 3-point shooting - and its raucous home fans - to beat Miami and Mississippi State in the first two rounds. But Texas Tech took the crowd out of the game early on.
New Mexico couldn't stop the 6-foot-2 Pierson inside and Jia Perkins hurt the Lobos from the perimeter. Perkins and Jolee Ayers each scored 12 points.
Texas Tech's Jolee Ayers pulls down a rebound over New Mexico's Jordan Adams, left, during the first half.
Defensively, the Lady Raiders' man-to-man pressure forced the Lobos into taking tough shots. The Lobos, who hit 13 3s in a 73-61 win over Mississippi State, were 3-for-12 from behind the arc against Texas Tech.
The Lady Raiders, who had eight different players score in the first half, led 23-19 before their half-ending run.
It started after New Mexico's 6-foot-3 center Jordan Adams went to the bench with her second foul. With the Lobos' leading scorer and all-time shot blocker out, Tech took over. Perkins finished the first-half run with two field goals and a pair of free throws to give the Lady Raiders a 41-19 lead.
Adams, who led New Mexico with 20 points, scored 12 of the Lobos' first 15 points in the second half, but it was too late as Tech still got easy shots over the smaller and slower Lobos.
Mandi Moore had 14 points for New Mexico, 11 in the first half.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, head coach Marsha Sharp is 508-158 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 10 NCAA Sweet 16 and four Elite Eight (including 2003) 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.
Fourth Elite Eight
Texas Tech is playing in its fourth NCAA Elite Eight. The Lady Raiders are 1-2 in the Elite Eight. Tech defeated Colorado, 79-54, March 27 in Mizzoula, Mon., to advance to its first and only Final Four. The Lady Raiders lost to Tennessee, 80-59, March 25, 1995 in Knoxville, Tenn., and again to Tennessee, 57-44, March 27, 2000 in Memphis, Tenn.
Welcome Back
Seniors Plenette Pierson and Jamie Nagle are making their second NCAA Elite Eight appearance. Pierson and Nagle were freshmen when Tech advanced to the Elite Eight in 2000. Also on the team was Melinda (Schmucker) Pharies, Tech's Director of Basketball Operations. Pharies was a senior on the 1999-2000 team.
Fifth-Straight Sweet 16
Texas Tech splayed in its fifth-straight NCAA Sweet 16 and it 10th in school history. In 2000, the Lady Raiders defeated Notre Dame, 69-65, in the Sweet 16 in Memphis, Tenn., to advance to the Elite Eight.
Season Highs for Ayers and Jackson
Junior Jolee Ayers scored a season-high 12 points while junior Casey Jackson grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds against New Mexico.
Perkins Hitting Double Digits
Junior Jia Perkins continues to hit double digits as she scored 12 points against New Mexico. Perkins has scored in double figures in 33 of 34 games.
Perkins Up To Eighth in Scoring and Third in Steals
Junior Jia Perkins scored 12 points against New Mexico to move her to eighth on Tech's all-time scoring list. She currently has 1,502 points. She also recorded five steals to move her to third on Tech's all-time steals list with 265.
Pierson Up the Charts
After the game against New Mexico, senior Plenette Pierson has scored 1,585 career points, which ranks fifth all-time. She also ranks third in free throw attempts (638), fourth in free throws made (395), seventh in rebounds (770), eighth in field goals made (595), eighth in field goal attempts (1190) and eighth in blocks (115).
Pierson Dishes Out
Senior Plenette Pierson tied her career-high five assists against UC Santa Barbara. It was the second time in her career to do so as she also tallied five at Oregon Nov. 26, 2001.
Seventh Double-Double for Pierson
Senior Plenette Pierson tallied her seventh double-double of the season 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.
Ritchie in Top Four
Junior Natalie Ritchie attempted 13 three-pointers against Southwest Missouri State to move her to fourth on Texas Tech's all-time list for three-point field goal attempts. She stands in fourth with 443 attempts.
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 a 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 averaged 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.
Award Finalists
Senior Plenette Pierson was 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 season 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 224.
Block Buster
Sophomore Cisti Greenwalt has recorded 77 blocks this season, which ranks second on Tech's single-season list for blocks. Greenwalt ranks fourth on Tech's career list for blocks with 137. Standing in third is Stacey Siebert (1986-90) with 154.
Block Party
Texas Tech tied its school record of 13 blocks at Oklahoma State. Tech has had 13 blocks on five times , including against Wyoming this season.
Grant Gets Another Double Digit Assist Game
Freshman Erin Grant recorded her seventh game of the season of 10 or more assists. Grant tallied 10 assists against Kansas State (3/13). She holds the freshman record for assists in a season with 225, which also ranks second on Tech's single-season list for assists. 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), Kansas State (10).
Outshooting Opponents
Texas Tech has outshot its opponents in 31 of 34 games this season. Tech shot a season-high 62.5 percent against Oklahoma State and a season-low 33.3 percent at Nebraska. The Lady Raiders have shot 50 percent or better 10 times this year. Tech is 10-0 on the season when shooting 50 percent from better.
On the Tube
The Lady Raiders have made 13 national or regional television appearances in this season and hold a 10-3 on TV. Tech appeared on ESPN/ESPN2 five times and Fox Sports Net eight times. Tech lost to Louisiana Tech (85-76) and beat Iowa State (70-48), UC Santa Barbara (72-68) and New Mexico (71-48) on ESPN2, and defeated Southwest Missouri State (67-59) on ESPN. The Lady Raiders' games on Fox Sports Net included: Washington (W, 99-67), Oklahoma State (W, 95-45), at Colorado (W, 80-58), Texas (L, 70-67), Kansas State (W, 73-64), vs. Oklahoma State (W, 75-52), vs. Kansas State (W, 71-65) and vs. Texas (L, 67-57).
