Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Open Big 12 Play Against Oklahoma State
January 08, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2004
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#1/2 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (14-0/0-0 Big 12)
vs.
Oklahoma State Cowgirls (6-6/1-0 Big 12)
January 10, 2004 * Lubbock, Texas * 7 p.m.
Television - Red Raider Sports Network - UPN Lubbock
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Saturday's Game
No. 1/2 Texas Tech opens Big 12 play by hosting Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. The game will be televised on the Red Raider Sports Network, locally on UPN Lubbock, with play-by-play by Vinnie Vinzetta and color commentary by Crystal Boles. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Network as Ryan Hyatt calls the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 14-0 after defeating Pepperdine, 95-53, in its final non-conference game on Jan. 4. On the year, senior Jia Perkins leads the team in scoring with a 16.6 average followed by freshman Alesha Robertson at 10.3. Senior Casey Jackson is the top rebounder, grabbing 7.3 boards per outing. Sophomore Jametra Clark is shooting 54.6 percent from the field, while Perkins is shooting 50.3 percent. Robertson is shooting 41.4 percent from the three-point arc. Sophomore Erin Grant has a team-high 87 assists, while Perkins leads the team in steals with 32. Junior Cisti Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 25 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from three-point range and 73.5 percent from the free throw line. Scouting the Opponent
Oklahoma State enters the game with a 6-6 overall record and 1-0 in the Big 12 after beating Texas A&M, 67-65, last Wednesday in Stillwater. In that game, junior Nina Stone scored a game-high 21 points, while senior Trisha Skibbe had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Stone dished out seven assists. Freshman Destanie Sykes added three blocks and junior Eliz Gomez had three steals.
On the year, Skibbe paces the Cowgirls in scoring with a 23.7 average followed by Stone at 12.2. Skibbe is also the top rebounder as she is averaging 9.4 boards per outing. Stone has a team-high 53 assists, while she and Skibbe both lead the team in steals with 19 apiece. Gomez and freshman Christian Hood are the top shot blockers with 21 blocks each. OSU is shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 32.3 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the charity stripe.
Julie Goodenough is in her second year at the helm of the Cowgirls, establishing a record of 14-27. She is also in her 11th year as a head coach with a career record of 202-81.
Series Record
It is the 29th meeting between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State with the Lady Raiders holding a 17-11 advantage. The Lady Raiders won all three meetings last year. In the first game, Tech won 95-45, in Lubbock on Jan. 18. The next victory came on Feb. 22 in an 83-48 triumph in Stillwater. The teams met up again in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament with the Lady Raiders getting a 75-52 win on March 12. The last time OSU won was Feb. 14, 2002 in a 58-55 victory in Stillwater. Tech is 8-4 versus the Cowgirls in Lubbock.
Last Time vs. OSU
March 12, 2003 - Texas Tech's Jia Perkins scored a team-high 21 points in leading the No. 8/9 Lady Raiders to victory over Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament in Dallas. Plenette Pierson added 16 points and Natalie Ritchie chipped in 11 for Tech. Pierson grabbed nine rebounds on the night, while LaToya Davis added eight. Erin Grant tallied five assists. The Cowgirls were led by Trisha Skibbe's 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tech shot 47.3 percent from the field to OSU's 32.1 percent.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Natalie Ritchie scored 19 points and No. 2 Texas Tech defeated Pepperdine 95-53 Sunday, making a strong bid for the nation's top ranking.
One day after No. 1 Connecticut lost 68-67 at the buzzer to No. 4 Duke, the Lady Raiders (14-0) placed five players in double figures and routed the Waves (6-7).
Ritchie connected on five of six 3-pointers. She was joined in double figures by Jametra Clark with 17 points, Jia Perkins with 15, and Jolee Ayers-Curry and Alesha Robertson with 10 apiece.
Pepperdine was paced by Shandrika Lee's 15 points. Kelly Greathouse added 10.
Texas Tech never trailed while building a 50-21 halftime lead. The Lady Raiders jumped ahead 12-2 and pushed the advantage to 29-9 on a pair of free throws by Cisti Greenwalt at the 9:54 mark.
Leading 31-11, Tech ran off 13 straight points. Ritchie keyed the spurt by connecting on three 3-pointers. Robertson's free throws 3:49 before halftime capped the run and made it 44-11.
Tech was just as dominant in the second half, scoring the first nine points and claiming a 59-21 lead. Perkins had three points in the run, and Ayers-Curry and Erin Grant added baskets.
Pepperdine never pulled closer than 28 points the rest of the way, getting to 62-34 at the 12:59 mark on a basket by Greathouse.
The Lady Raiders closed the game by scoring the final 10 points, including four by Clark.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech takes the road for a game at Iowa State Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. The Lady Raiders return home for a game with Baylor Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. on Fox Sports Net. Tech will host Nebraska Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. on the Red Raider Sports Network.
Lady Raider Head Coach Marsha Sharp
One of the most respected and well-known coaches in Texas Tech history, Hall of Fame head coach Marsha Sharp is 522-159 in her 22nd year at the helm of the Lady Raiders. She has led the Lady Raiders to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 14 consecutive, and 10 NCAA Sweet 16 and four 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. 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. In May 2003, she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
First to No. 1
Texas Tech became the first Big 12 school to be ranked No. 1 in the country since the inception of the league in 1996-97. The Lady Raiders topped the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches' Poll on Jan. 6. It marks the first time the Lady Raiders have been ranked No. 1 during the regular season and only their second ever as they were first in the final coaches poll after winning the National Championship in 1993. Tech is ranked No. 2 in this week's Associated Press top 25 poll.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Jan. 5, Texas Tech ranks first in field goal percentage defense at 31.1, first in won-lost percentage at 100.0, third in scoring defense at 48.7, fourth in scoring margin at 29.4, fourth in rebound margin at 12.9, seventh in turnovers per game at 13.6, 10th in blocked shots per game at 5.8, 15th in scoring offense at 78.1 and 20th in assists per game at 18.2, among all NCAA Division I teams. Sophomore Erin Grant ranks 17th in assists per game at 6.2 among all NCAA Division I players.
Best Start in School History
Texas Tech is 14-0 and off to its best start in school history. The previous best start was when the Lady Raiders went 10-0 in 1999-2000 before falling at Iowa State, 62-37, Jan. 2, 2000.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class has a record of 88-25 (.779) overall and 34-14 (.708) in Big 12 regular-season play. The junior class, which consists of just one player - Cisti Greenwalt is 63-18 (.778) and 21-11 (.656) in the league. The sophomores post a 43-6 (.878) mark and 13-3 (.813) in the conference. The freshmen are 14-0 this season.
Looking for Another Banner
Since the 1997-98 season, the Lady Raiders have hung at least one banner from the rafters each year. During that time, Tech has seen two NCAA Elite Eight banners, three NCAA Sweet 16 banners, three Big 12 regular-season champion banners, two Big 12 Tournament champion bannersand a Marsha Sharp Women's Basketball Hall of Fame banner.
Lady Raiders Win Third Title
Texas Tech won its third tournament title of the season when it captured the Surf 'N Slam San Diego Hoop Classic on Dec. 30. The Lady Raiders also won the Preseason WNIT and the SMU Hoops for the Cure Tournament.
Tech vs. the Top 25
Texas Tech is 4-0 this year against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders beat No. 18/18 UC Santa Barbara, No. 15/15 Rutgers, No. 24 Washington and No. 7/7 Stanford.
Clark Ups Average
Sophomore Jametra Clark has averaged 15.3 points per game over the last four contests. Clark had averaged 7.1 points per outing in the 10 games prior to the last four. Her playing minutes have increased from 13.9 minutes the first 10 games to 23 the four games.
Ritchie Sinks Season High
Senior Natalie Ritchie scored a season-high 19 points and hit a season-high five three-pointers in Texas Tech's win over Pepperdine.
Puttin' Up the Points
The Lady Raiders have scored 95 points in their last two victories. Tech beat San Diego 95-47 and Pepperdine 95-53. The Lady Raiders have scored 90 or more points three times this season. They wrapped up non-conference play averaging 29.4 more points than their opponents.
Perkins, Clark Named to All-Tournament Team
Senior Jia Perkins was named the Most Valuable Player of the Surf 'N Slam San Diego Hoop Classic while sophomore Jametra Clark was named to the all-tournament team.
Season-High from the Field
The Lady Raiders shot a season-high 58 percent from the field at San Diego. Tech connected on 40-of-69 shot attempts on the night.
Second Double-Double for Greenwalt
Junior Cisti Greenwalt recorded her second double-double against San Diego with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Greenwalt also added four blocks on the night.
Career High for Clark
Sophomore Jametra Clark scored a career-high 18 points in 30 minutes of play against Maryland. Clark also dished out a career-high three assists while matching her season high of six rebounds.
Robertson Big 12 Rookie of the Week
Freshman Alesha Robertson was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Dec. 22. Robertson averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds the week of Dec. 15-21 in helping Texas Tech to wins over two top 25 teams, at No. 24 Washington and at home vs. No. 7 Stanford.
First Start and Career Day for Robertson
Freshman Alesha Robertson made her first collegiate start against Stanford and recorded a career-high 18 points, a then career-high six rebounds and a career-high three steals in 28 minutes of play.
Clark a Spark
Sophomore Jametra Clark came off the bench to score 11 points, second-highest on the team behind freshman Alesha Robertson's 18, in the win over Stanford.
Fifth Largest Crowd
Texas Tech had 14,674 fans in attendance at the Stanford game which was the fifth largest home crowd in school history.
First to 10
Texas Tech was the first top 25 team to claim 10 victories in 2003 after beating Washington Dec. 19.
Jackson, Greenwalt Record Get Double-Double at Washington
Senior Casey Jackson and junior Cisti Greenwalt both finished with double-doubles at Washington, which was the first time this season Texas Tech has had two players record double-doubles in the same game. Jackson had 10 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while Greenwalt had season highs of 15 points and 11 boards. It was the third double-double for Jackson this season and the first for Greenwalt.
100 Points
Texas Tech scored a 100 points in its win over Pacific, which marked the first time the Lady Raiders had scored 100 points since beating Penn, 100-57, March 16, 2001 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lubbock.
Dabbs Has Career Game
Sophomore Chesley Dabbs recorded career highs of 18 points, six rebounds and five assists against Pacific. Dabbs came off the bench to play 21 minutes.
Bench Does It Again
In back-to-back games, Texas Tech's bench combined for 50 or more points. In the win over Wyoming the subs combined for 50 points as four of the six players scored in double figures led by sophomore LaToya Davis' game-high 14 points. Junior Cisti Greenwalt and freshman Alesha Robertson each added 11, while sophomore Chesley Dabbs chipped in 10. Greenwalt also finished with game highs of eight rebounds and six blocks. In the victory against Pacific, they combined for 58 points led by a career-high 18 points by Dabbs. Also scoring in double figures were Robertson with 11, while Greenwalt and sophomore Jametra Clark each added 10.
Grant, Baughman Dish Out
Sophomore Erin Grant dished out a season-high 13 assists against Pacific, while freshman Brooke Baughman collected a career-high seven assists.
Greenwalt, Ritchie Move Up the Charts
Junior Cisti Greenwalt is now third in career blocks with 163. Standing in second is Carolyn Thompson (1980-84) with 174 career blocks. Senior Natalie Ritchie moved to fourth on Tech's all-time list for three-point field goals made with 174. Former standout and current Tech assistant Krista (Kirkland) Gerlich (1989-93) is in third with 220.
Tech Ties Fewest Points Allowed
Texas Tech held Wyoming to 26 points Dec. 6, which tied the school record for fewest points scored by an opponent. McMurry had scored 26 points on Feb. 24, 1978.
Perkins Passes Swoopes
Senior Jia Perkins passed Sheryl Swoopes (1991-93) on Tech's all-time scoring list. Perkins currently stands fourth on the list with 1,736 career points. Swoopes had 1,645 during her time as a Lady Raider. Standing in third is Michi Atkins (1992-96) with 2,134 points. Carolyn Thompson (1980-84) holds the school record for most career points with 2,655, while Alicia Thompson (1994-98) is second with 2,156.
Senior Leadership
Texas Tech held on to claim a seven-point victory over California and a big reason was the play of three seniors. Jia Perkins, Casey Jackson and Natalie Ritchie combined to score 60 of Tech's 76 points. They connected on 25 of their combined 37 shot attempts for a 68 percent shooting percentage from the field. Perkins scored a season-high 29 points in the game.
Tech Holds SMU to Record-Low Shooting Percentage
Texas Tech held SMU to just 16.9 percent from the field, which set a school record for lowest shooting percentage by an opponent. The Mustangs hit just 11 of 65 shot attempts in the game. The previous school record was 17.6 percent (12-of-68) by Southwest Texas State on Jan. 1, 1993.
Johnson, Flowers to Redshirt
Freshman Enrica Johnson had meniscus repair done to her right knee on Dec. 17 and will redshirt this season. She joins freshman Tawanna Flowers who is redshirting after suffering a navicular fracture in her right foot during her senior season and is currently rehabbing the injury.
On the Tube
The Lady Raiders will make six national or regional television appearances in regular-season play this season. Texas Tech will appear on ESPN2 once and Fox Sports Net four times. On Fox Sports Net, Tech played Stanford (Dec. 21) and will play Baylor (Jan. 17), at Texas (Feb. 1) and at Baylor (Feb. 8). Tech played at Washington (Dec. 19) on Fox Sports Northwest/Southwest. On Feb. 22, the Lady Raiders will play Texas on ESPN2. Tech will also have 11 games broadcasted on the local Red Raider Sports Network.
Perkins, Grant Among the Best at Their Positions
Senior Jia Perkins was named one of the top five off-guards in the country by ESPN.com, while sophomore Erin Grant was selected as one of the top five point guards. Joining Perkins on the list were Alana Beard (Duke), Kelly Mazzante (Penn State), Diana Taurasi (Connecticut) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota). Along with Grant, Jamie Carey (Texas), Temeka Johnson (LSU), Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers) and Erika Valek (Purdue) made up the top five selections. 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 221 weeks. That includes the Jan. 5 polls in which Tech is ranked first in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches' Poll and second in the AP poll.
Follow the Lady Raiders
All Lady Raider basketball games can be heard live on the All Sports Radio Network on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. Listen to play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt as he takes the court with the Lady Raiders. The following radio stations will air the Lady Raider basketball games this season:
Amarillo - KPUR-AM (1440)
Haskell - KVRP-FM (97.1)
Hereford - KPAN-AM/FM (860/106.3)
Lamesa - KPET-AM (690)
Lubbock - KFYO-AM/KKCL-FM (790/98.1)
Midland - KMMD/KRIL-AM (1510/1410)
Plainview - KVOP-AM (1090)
Lady Basketball with Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp's weekly television show, Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp, is televised every Sunday. The show airs on Fox 34 at 9:30 p.m. The show also airs on UPN Lubbock at 10:30 p.m.
The Marsha Sharp Radio Show
The Marsha Sharp Radio Show is held each Monday from 6-7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena in the City Bank conference rooms located on the south end concourse. The show will air on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. The show on Jan. 12 will be at the County Line Restaurant, while the shows on Jan. 19 and 26 will be at Jones SBC Stadium Club. The show will return to the United Spirit Arena on Feb. 2.
Wade Watch
Senior Jia Perkins was one of 35 players selected as a preseason candidate for the State Farm Wade Trophy/Division I Player of the Year Award by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Perkins Preseason Wooden Award and Naismith Candidate
Senior Jia Perkins was named to the John R. Wooden Preseason All-America team and was one of 30 players chosen as a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, which will be presented annually to the most outstanding female collegiate basketball player. She is also one of 30 preseason candidates for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.
