Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Take On Texas A&M Saturday
February 17, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2005
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#15/15 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (18-5/9-3 Big 12)
vs.
Texas A&M Aggies (13-10/3-9 Big 12)
February 19, 2005 • Lubbock, Texas • 7 p.m.
Television - Texas Tech Television Network
United Spirit Arena (15,050)
The Game
No. 15/15 Texas Tech (18-5/9-3) hosts Texas A&M (13-10/3-9) on Sat., Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. It is the 59th meeting between the two programs. The Lady Raiders enter the game winning four of their last six games, while the Aggies have won two of their last four contests .
On the Air
The game is being televised on the Texas Tech Television Network, locally on UPN Lubbock, as Vinnie Vinzetta (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color analyst) call the game. The game can be heard on the All Sports Radio Network, in Lubbock on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1, with play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt and Stephanie Gerber as the color analyst.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 18-5 and 9-3 in the Big 12 after winning at Kansas, 66-53, last Wednesday. On the year, four Lady Raiders are scoring in double figures led by sophomore Alesha Robertson and senior Cisti Greenwalt who are both averaging 13.4 points. Junior Chesley Dabbs is averaging 13.1 points, while junior LaToya Davis is at 11.4 points a game. Davis is shooting a team and Big 12-high 61.4 percent from the field. Robertson is shooting 37.7 percent from behind the arc and 86.8 percent from the free throw line. Greenwalt is the top rebounder, grabbing 9.4 boards per outing. Junior Erin Grant has team highs of 152 assists and 38 steals and leads the Big 12 in assists per game at 6.91 and in assist/turnover ratio at 3.38. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 79 blocks and leads the conference in blocks per game at 3.43. Texas Tech is shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from three-point range and 70.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Texas A&M enters the game with a 13-10 overall record and 3-9 in the Big 12 after falling to Nebraska, 73-59, last Wednesday in College Station. In that game, freshman A'Quonesia Franklin scored a team-high 15 points and freshman Morenike Atunrase chipped in 10. Junior Tamea Scales grabbed 10 rebounds and Franklin and junior Erica Roy each collected six assists.
On the year, Atunrase paces the Aggies in scoring with a 10.6 average followed by Scales at 9.3. Scales is the top rebounder, averaging 6.3 boards per contest. Franklin leads the team in assists with 101 and Atunrase has team highs of 48 steals and 44 blocks. Texas A&M is shooting 39.4 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from three-point range and 60.6 percent from the free throw line.
Gary Blair is in his second season at the helm of the Aggies establishing a record of 22-29. He is also in his 20th year as a head coach with a career record of 430-192.
Series Record
It is the 59th meeting between Texas Tech and Texas A&M with the Lady Raiders owning a 50-8 record against the Aggies. Tech has won the last 17 games in the series, including the first game this year, 67-54, Jan. 30, in College Station. The Aggies last victory was a 72-68 triumph March 9, 1996, in the championship game of the Southwest Conference Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The Lady Raiders have won 23-straight games against the Aggies in Lubbock. Tech owns a 24-1 record against A&M in Lubbock.
A Win Against Texas A&M Would...
- give Tech a 19-5 record, and 10-3 in the Big 12
- give Tech a 51-8 record against the Aggies
- give head coach Marsha Sharp her 552nd career win
Last Time vs. Texas A&M
Jan. 30, 2005 - (AP) - Cisti Greenwalt matched a career high with 26 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, leading No. 13 Texas Tech to a 67-54 victory over Texas A&M on Sunday.
Chesley Dabbs scored 17 points and point guard Erin Grant added 15 assists for the Red Raiders, who have won 10 of their last 11 games and moved into a tie with Kansas State for the league lead.
Morenike Atunrase led A&M with 13 points and Charlette Castile added 10. Tamea Scales, the Aggies' leading scorer, had nine points on 2-of-13 shooting and pulled down 16 rebounds.
Tech never trailed in this one and controlled the game except for a brief run by the Aggies midway through the second half.
Atunrase made two free throws to bring the Aggies within 43-41 with 11:12 left in the game. But Greenwalt and Dabbs responded, scoring all of Tech's points during a 9-2 run that essentially put the game out of reach for the punchless Aggies.
Last Time Out
(AP) - LaToya Davis had 14 points and seven rebounds to lead No. 15 Texas Tech to a 66-53 win over Kansas on Wednesday night.
Alesha Robertson scored 12 points and Cisti Greenwalt added 10 points and eight rebounds for Texas Tech (18-5, 9-3 Big 12).
Crystal Kemp had 10 rebounds and scored 19 points, including the 1,000th of her career for Kansas (11-12, 4-8). She became the 18th member of the Jayhawks to reach the milestone.
Trailing 39-18 with just under 20 minutes left in the second half, Kansas went on a 9-2 run to close within 41-27.
With just under 4 minutes left, Kemp scored back-to-back baskets as the Jayhawks cut their deficit to 61-47.
The Lady Raiders responded with a basket by Chesley Dabbs and withstood the Jayhawks' comeback try.
The Lady Raiders shot 80 percent in the first 10 minutes and shot 25-for-44 in the game.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech play at Oklahoma Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Tech will host its final home game of the year on Feb. 26 against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. on the Texas Tech Television Network. The Lady Raiders conclude regular-season play at Baylor March 3 at 7:30 p.m. on FSN.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Feb. 14, Texas Tech ranks first in field goal percentage defense at 32.7, second in blocked shots per game 7.7, fifth in scoring margin at 21.7, fifth in turnovers per game at 13.4, eighth in scoring defense at 52.3, ninth in assists per game at 17.9, 11th in rebound margin at 8.1, 16th in scoring offense at 74.0, 22nd in field goal percentage at 45.1, 23rd in personal fouls per game at 14.4 and 25th in won-lost percentage at 77.3, among all NCAA Division I teams. Junior Erin Grant ranks fifth in assists per game at 6.8; senior Cisti Greenwalt ranks eighth in blocked shots per game at 3.5; and sophomore Alesha Robertson ranks 17th in free throw percentage at 86.6, among all NCAA Division I players.
Grant Closing in On School Record
Junior Erin Grant is closing in on the school record for career assists. Grant currently has 595 career assists, which is second on Tech's all-time career assists list. Standing in first with 603 assists is Melinda Schmucker-Pharies (1996-00). Grant now ranks fourth all-time in the Big 12.
Greenwalt Nearing 1,000 Points
Senior Cisti Greenwalt is just five points away of scoring 1,000 career points. Her 309 points she has scored this year are a season best.
Another High Shooting Performance
Texas Tech shot 56.8 percent from the field at Kansas, marking its ninth game of 50 percent or better from the field this season. The 56.8 percent was the second-highest output of the year. The Lady Raiders season best has been 57.1 percent at Oklahoma State.
Season Low Shooting
Texas Tech shot just 27 percent from the field at Texas, marking its lowest shooting percentage of the season. Tech was 17-of-63 for the night.
Grant Getting It Done
Junior Erin Grant registered her first double-double of the season and the third of her career as she scored a season-high 19 points and dished out 10 assists against Iowa State. The 10 assists marked the fifth time this season she has collected 10 or more assists in a game and the 16th of her career.
Doing Dishes
Junior LaToya Davis dished out a career-high six assists against Iowa State. Her previous high was four against Penn State earlier this season. Davis also chipped in 12 points against the Cyclones to mark her 14th game this year to score in double figures.
Points and More Points
Senior Cisti Greenwalt and junior Chesley Dabbs scored 19 and 14 points, respectively, against Iowa State. It was the 15th time for Greenwalt to score in double digits and the 14th time for Dabbs. Dabbs also tied her career high of two three-pointers versus the Cyclones. Greenwalt has scored in double figures in 16 games this season.
More Good Shooting
Texas Tech had another good shooting night as it shot 56.1 percent against Iowa State, hitting 37-of-66 shot attempts. It was the eighth time the Lady Raiders have shot at least 50 percent from the field and the second-highest output of the season.
Best Output in Conference Play
Texas Tech's 89 points against Iowa State was the most points the Lady Raiders have scored against a conference opponent this year and their second-best output for all games this season. Tech scored a 109 points against Miami (Fla.) Dec. 6.
Tech vs. Top 25
Texas Tech is 2-4 against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders beat No. 12/11 Texas (79-62, Jan. 12) and No. 14/14 Iowa State (89-62, Feb. 8), while losing to No. 7/5 Stanford (61-58, Nov. 28), No. 20/18 Kansas State (55-53, Jan. 22), No. 8/9 Baylor (52-49, Feb. 5) and at No. 17/17 Texas (64-43, Feb. 13).
Sellout Crowd
Texas Tech had its first sellout crowd of the season against Baylor Feb. 5. There were 15,050 fans in attendance for the game, marking Tech's eighth sellout for women's basketball since the United Spirit Arena opened in 1999. The Lady Raiders are averaging 12,578 fans a game which ranks third in the country.
Smith Ties Career-High 3s
Freshman Judith Smith tied her career-high two three-point baskets against Baylor. She has hit two three-pointers in a game three times this season. Smith also tied her career-high two steals.
Davis Matches Season-High Blocks
Junior LaToya Davis tied her season high of two blocks against the Lady Bears. Davis has had two blocks on three occasions this year.
Greenwalt Gets More Double-Doubles and Ties Career High Scoring
Senior Cisti Greenwalt recorded her eighth and ninth double-doubles of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds against Missouri, and 26 points and 16 rebounds at Texas A&M. The 26 points tied her career high in scoring, while the 16 rebounds were a season high. Greenwalt now has 19 career double-doubles. Griffin Named Co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week Freshman Darrice Griffin was named Co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week for games played Jan. 24-30. Griffin averaged 8.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in wins over Missouri and at Texas A&M. She had career highs of 12 rebounds and five blocks against the Aggies in her first career start for the Lady Raiders.
Career Assists for Grant
Junior Erin Grant dished out a career-high 15 assists at Texas A&M. Her previous career high was 14 on two occasions. Grant is on pace to break the school record for career assists this season.
Dabbs Stops Drought
Junior Chesley Dabbs stopped a two-game scoring drought of 10 or fewer points in a game when she poured in 17 at Texas A&M. Dabbs has scored in double figures in 14 of 21 games this season.
Few Turnovers
The Lady Raiders turned the ball over just seven times against the Wildcats tying their season best. They also had seven turnovers against Miami in December.
Dabbs Getting Minutes
For the second time this season, junior Chesley Dabbs played all 40 minutes of a game. Dabbs played 40 minutes against the Wildcats last week and at Stanford in November, while playing 44 of the 45 minutes against Virginia Tech in December.
Double Duty for Davis
Junior LaToya Davis registered her third double-double of the season at Nebraska with 13 points and 11 rebounds. It was the eighth double-double of her career.
Career High 3s for Grant
Junior Erin Grant hit a career-high three three-point baskets in the win at Nebraska. Grant was 3-for-3 from behind the arc. She finished the night with 16 points.
Career High for Dabbs
Junior Chesley Dabbs scored a career-high 22 points in Texas Tech's win at Colorado. Her previous career-high was 21 against Ole Miss earlier this season.
Griffin Gets Career Numbers vs. Buffs
Freshman Darrice Griffin tied her career-high 10 rebounds at Colorado. It was the second time in her career to have 10 rebounds in a game, the other coming against Miami in December. She also recorded a career-high three blocks against the Buffs.
100th Big 12 Win
Texas Tech got its 100th Big 12 regular-season win Jan. 12 in a 79-62 triumph over Texas. Tech is the first school in the Big 12 to get 100 regular-season wins in league play. The Lady Raiders are 105-33 in the Big 12.
Myrick Grabs Career High Rebounds
Freshman Erin Myrick came off the bench against Texas Jan. 12 to grab a career high of seven rebounds. Myrick played 14 quality minutes in the Lady Raiders' win. Her previous high was six rebounds on three occasions this season.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Sophomore Alesha Robertson was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Dec. 13, for her performances Dec. 6-12. During that time she set the school record for most three-point baskets made in a game when she hit nine en route to scoring a career-high 37 points against Miami Dec. 6. For the week, she averaged 22.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 57.7 percent from the three-point arc and 93.8 percent from the free throw line.
Tech Holds Ole Miss to Record-Low Shooting Percentage
Texas Tech held Ole Miss to just 16.2 percent from the field which set a new school record for lowest field goal percentage by an opponent. The previous low was 16.9 percent by SMU last year.
School Record 3s
Sophomore Alesha Robertson set the school record for most three-point shots made in a game with nine against Miami en route to scoring a career-high 37 points. The previous record was eight set last season by Natalie Ritchie against Oklahoma State. Robertson was 9-for-12 from three-point range.
Big 12 Career Block Leader
Senior Cisti Greenwalt is now the Big 12 Conference's all-time leader in blocked shots with 274. She passed Britt Hartshorn of Colorado (1999-02), who had 208, as the league's career leader in blocks. Greenwalt set the Texas Tech school record last season.
100-Point Game
Texas Tech scored 109 points in its victory over Miami Dec. 6. Last season, Tech scored at least 100 points on two occasions: 100 vs. Pacific Dec. 8, 2003 and 106 vs. Oklahoma State Jan. 10, 2004. The 2003-04 season was the first time Tech had scored 100-plus points more than once in the same season since 1994-95. The 109 points versus Miami marks the 11th season Tech has accomplished the feat of scoring 100 or more points in a game. During 1992-93, Tech scored 100 or more points on six occasions, which is the most of any Lady Raider season.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class, which consists of just one player - Cisti Greenwalt is 92-31 (.748) and 40-20 (.667) in the Big 12. The juniors post a 72-19 (.791) mark and 32-12 (.727) in the conference. The sophomore class is 43-13 (.768) and 19-9 (.679) in the league, while the freshmen are 18-5 (.783) and 9-3 (.750) in the Big 12.
On the Tube
Texas Tech will have 16 regular-season games televised this season. Those airing on FSN include: vs. Stanford (L, 61-58), at Oklahoma State (W, 76-38), Kansas State (L, 55-53), at Texas A&M (W, 67-54) and at Baylor March 3. Tech played at Colorado (W, 87-410 FSN Rocky Mountain. The Lady Raiders faced Texas (L, 64-43) on ESPN2. The Texas Tech Television Network will broadcast Arkansas-Little Rock (W, 69-29), Oral Roberts (W, 79-46), Sacramento State (W, 83-37), Oklahoma (W, 70-64), Texas (W, 79-62), Missouri (W, 74-45), Iowa State (W, 89-62), Texas A&M Feb. 19 and Oklahoma State Feb. 26.
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 246 weeks. That includes the Feb. 14 polls in which Tech is ranked 15th in the Associated Press top 25 poll and 15th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches poll.
Grant Among the Best at Her Position
Junior Erin Grant was selected as one of the top five point guards in the country by ESPN.com. Joining Grant on the list were Jamie Carey (Texas), Dionnah Jackson (Oklahoma), Temeka Johnson (LSU) and Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers).
Naismith Candidates
Junior Erin Grant and sophomore Alesha Robertson were selected preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy. Grant, a native of Arlington, Texas, was a second team All-Big 12 selection in 2004 after averaging 8.3 points and 6.5 assists per game. She currently ranks second on Tech's career list for assists with 595 and is on pace to break the school record (603) this season. Plainview, Texas, native Robertson is Tech's top returning scorer from last year as she averaged 12.4 points per contest. Robertson was honorable mention All-Big 12 last season.
Preseason Honors
Sophomore transfer Patrice Edwards was named the preseason Co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by the league coaches, while junior Erin Grant and sophomore Alesha Robertson were named preseason honorable mention All-Big 12. Robertson was named preseason second team All-America by Women's Basketball News Service, Grant was named to the third team. Grant was also selected preseason honorable mention by Street & Smith's.
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 - KIXZ-AM (940)
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)
