Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Face Bears in Waco
March 02, 2005 | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2005
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech Red Raiders have their tenth road game of the season and their fifteenth conference game on Wednesday evening as they face the Bears of Baylor University at The Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.
Mark Finkner will call the courtside action for Texas Tech and Andy Hipsher will provide the analysis on KKAM (1340 AM), the flagship station for the Red Raiders. There is no television coverage for the game.
Texas Tech has won twelve of their last seventeen games and has a 4-5 record on the road this season. The Red Raiders are 17-8 for the season and 9-5 in conference play after their 69-65 win over Texas at the United Spirit Arena on February 22 and a road loss to Texas A&M on February 26.
Texas Tech led A&M at halftime by one point, 35-34. The Aggies outscored the Raiders 51-28 in the second half for an 85-63 win in College Station. The Raiders made 13-of-30 (43.3%) first half attempts and then hit 12-of-25 (48.0%) second half attempts to end the game at 45.3% (25-for-55). Texas A&M shot 52.2 % in the first half and then increased their percentage in the second half as they made 19-of-30 attempts (63.3%). Martin Zeno was the leading scorer for the Raiders with 16 points. It was the fifth time this season the freshman from Sulphur, Louisiana has led the team in scoring. Jarrius Jackson scored 14 points and Ronald Ross dropped in 10 points.
Ronald Ross continues to move up in the 1000 Point Club. He now has 1,013 career points and has moved into the 27th spot on the all-time scoring list. He also has 63 steals on the season and 181 career thefts. He is the only Red Raider listed in the "Top 10 Single-Season Highs" for steals in three different seasons. His 63 steals this season are one theft away from tying Andre Emmett's top mark of 64 steals in the 2002-2003 season.
Devonne Giles has 47 blocks this season and had 51 blocks last season. He holds down the fifth and sixth spots for most blocks in a single season during his two-year career as a Red Raider.
Jarrius Jackson is the only Red Raider to have started all 25 games this season. Heading into the Baylor game, Ronald Ross, Jarrius Jackson, Martin Zeno, and Devonne Giles have started each of the fourteen conference games.
Baylor is 9-16 for the season and has won one of their fourteen conference games. The Bears are averaging 66.6 points per game for the season and are scoring 61.1 ppg in conference play. Their defense has allowed 71.0 ppg for the season and 77.0 ppg in conference play.
Tonight's game will be the 110th meeting between the two teams. Texas Tech leads the series 70-39. The Raiders lead the series in Lubbock 38-12, in Waco 26-25, and 6-2 on neutral courts. Texas Tech has won seven of the last eight games.
The Raiders downed the Bears 83-67 in the first game of the series this season on February 9. Ronald Ross paced Texas Tech with 25 points. Curtis Marshall dropped in 16 points. Devonne Giles chipped in 14 points. Darryl Dora added 12 points.
Baylor's Patrick Fields scored 18 points. He sank 6-of-8 attempts from the field, was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and made 3-of-4 free throw attempts. Tim Bush added 17 points and Aaron Bruce added 12 points.
The Red Raiders have four players who are averaging in double-figures for the season. Ronald Ross leads the squad with 16.7 points per game. Jarrius Jackson follows with 15.3 points per game. Martin Zeno averages 13.6 points per game. Devonne Giles is next with 11.7 points per game. The Raiders are averaging 80.0 points per game for the season and are scoring 75.3 ppg in conference play. Their defense has allowed 70.2 ppg for the season and 75.1 ppg in conference games.
With 849 career victories over 39 seasons, Coach Bob Knight will be on the sidelines for his 1,180th game with Wednesday's road game against Baylor. He is only the fourth coach to amass 800 wins in his career. Jim Phelan retired with 830 wins, the late Adolph Rupp won 876, and Dean Smith leads everyone with 879 career wins.
With one home game remaining, all tickets in the Non-PSL reserved areas in the upper level of the United Spirit Arena can be purchased for $5.00 per ticket. The Oklahoma Sooners visit the United Spirit Arena for the final Red Raider home game of the season on Saturday, March 5.
For Men's Basketball tickets to games at the United Spirit Arena, please call (888) GO-BIG-12 or (806) 742-TECH or stop by the Texas Tech Athletic Ticket Office in the north end of Jones SBC Stadium. Tickets also can be purchased through the Texas Tech athletic website at www.texastech.com and at area United Supermarkets and Select-a-Seat locations.
