Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Kansas State
Lady Raiders Knock Off No. 4 Kansas State
March 06, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 6, 2003
LUBBOCK, Texas (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.
"I hit my first two shots, and that got some momentum and confidence going for me," Perkins said. "When you hit your first couple, you start thinking you're going to make the next one."
Plenette Pierson added 23 points for Tech (24-4, 13-3).
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.
"It's probably been a long time since they've yelled that much for us," Tech coach Marsha Sharp said of Texas. "I guess you might say they owe us one."
Kansas State coach Deb Patterson was disappointed in her team's first-half performance.
"I'm not sure over the 40 minutes of the game that we competed at the level we're capable of," Patterson said. "But credit Texas Tech for that. They played tremendously inspired, they made big plays, and they made them at very timely points in the game."
Kansas State (27-3, 14-2), which had won 22 of its past 23 games, had its nine-game winning streak snapped.
"Jia was pretty much unstoppable tonight," Kansas State's Kendra Wecker said. "She had a couple of very, very nice moves and was hitting that pull-up jumper. She was unbelievable tonight. She and Plenette Pierson played like All-Americans, and they were hard for us to defend."
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.
"This would have been an easy game not to get ready for, but one thing I've enjoyed about coaching this team is the way they've handled adversity," Sharp said. "They have bounced back all year and done a great job of being ready to play."
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.
"I thought we played as well tonight as we've played in a while," Sharp said. "I just hope that helps us take a lot of confidence into the tournament next week."
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.
