Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Meet Middle Tennessee State In Second Round
March 20, 2005 | Women's Basketball
March 20, 2005
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NCAA Championship
Philadelphia Region • Second Round
No. 4 Seed #14/14 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (23-7/12-4 Big 12)
vs.
No. 12 Seed Middle Tennessee State Lady Raiders (24-8/11-3 Sun Belt)
March 21, 2005 • Dallas, Texas • 8:30 p.m.
Television - ESPN2
Reunion Arena (16,500)
The Game
No. 14/14 Texas Tech is the No. 4 seed in the Philadelphia Region and will face No. 12 seed Middle Tennessee State in the second round of the NCAA Championship at Reunion Arena in Dallas on Mon., March 21, at 8:30 p.m.
On the Air
The game is being televised on ESPN2 as Ron Franklin (play-by-play) and Nancy Lieberman (color analyst) call the game. Holly Rowe will be the sideline reporter. 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 Crystal Boles as color analyst.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 23-7 and finished Big 12 regular-season play tied for third with a 12-4 record. On the year, four Lady Raiders are scoring in double figures led by senior Cisti Greenwalt at 13.0. Junior LaToya Davis is at 12.5, junior Chesley Dabbs is at 12.4 and sophomore Alesha Robertson is at 12.3 points a game. Davis is shooting a team and Big 12-high 61.5 percent from the field. Robertson is shooting 37.5 percent from behind the arc and a Big 12-high 86.2 percent from the free throw line. Greenwalt is the top rebounder, grabbing 8.9 boards per outing. Junior Erin Grant has team highs of 205 assists and 39 steals and leads the Big 12 in assists per game at 7.07 and assist/turnover ratio at 3.59. Greenwalt is the top shot blocker with 98 blocks and leads the conference in blocks per game at 3.27. Texas Tech is shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from three-point range and 70.4 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Middle Tennessee State enters the game with a 24-8 overall record after upsetting No. 5 seed North Carolina State, 60-58, in the first round of the NCAA Championship last Saturday night. In that game, senior Patrice Holmes scored a game-high 26 points and junior Tia Stovall and sophomore Krystle Horton both added 11 points each. Stovall, sophomore Chrissy Givens and freshman Lakira Boyd all had five rebounds. Senior Ciara Gray dished out four assists, while Holmes tallied four steals.
On the year, Holmes paces the Lady Raiders in scoring with a 15.3 average followed by Stovall at 13.3, Horton at 11.2 and Givens at 10.8. Stovall is the top rebounder, averaging 5.7 rebounds a game. Holmes has team highs of 116 assists, 109 steals and 31 blocks. Middle Tennessee is shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 27.5 percent from three-point range and 65.5 percent from the free throw line.
Stephany Smith is in her eighth year at the helm of the Lady Raiders establishing a career record of 153-87.
Series Record
It is the second meeting between Texas Tech and Middle Tennessee State with Tech owning a 1-0 advantage. Tech was victorious, 76-61, Nov. 24, 1989, in the Holiday Classic in Reno, Nev.
Common Opponents
Texas Tech and Middle Tennessee State had two commons opponents in 2004-05 as both played Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State. Tech defeated both teams: 69-29 over UALR Dec. 2, in Lubbock and 87-53, over ASU Dec. 18 in the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert. Middle Tennessee beat UALR twice: 71-49, Jan. 13, in Murfreesboro and 62-54, Feb. 17, in Little Rock, while splitting with Arkansas State - winning 56-55, Jan. 15, in Murfreesboro and losing in Jonesboro, 72-69, Feb. 19.
Texas Tech in the NCAA Championship
Texas Tech is making its 18th appearance in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship and its 16th-consecutive bid into the event. The Lady Raiders have advanced to the Sweet 16 10 times, the Elite Eight four times, the Final Four once and won the National Championship in 1993.
Last Time Out
(AP) - LaToya Davis had a career-high 26 points and added 14 rebounds to lead fourth-seeded Texas Tech to a 69-49 victory over 13th-seeded Texas-Arlington in the first round of the NCAA tournament Saturday night.
Helping spoil the first NCAA tournament appearance in school history for Texas-Arlington, Davis shot 11-of-14 from the floor and scored 19 of her points in the second half. The 6-foot-1 junior also had two blocks and three steals.
She was given a standing ovation by a crowd dominated by Texas Tech fans, who watched Davis fall just one rebound shy of tying her career high in that category.
It was the 14th straight first-round victory for Texas Tech (23-7). The Lady Raiders were upset in the second round last year. Rola Ogunoye had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Texas-Arlington (21-10).
Ogunoye kept Texas-Arlington close to start the game, scoring 13 of her points in the first half. Her three-point play with 7:07 left before halftime cut an eight-point Texas Tech lead down to one.
But the Mavericks didn't hang around for long. Texas Tech opened the second half on a 18-6 run in the first 8 minutes, with Davis scoring 13 of those points.
Texas-Arlington, which trailed by only three points at halftime, shot just 31 percent in the second half.
Chesley Dabbs added 10 points for the Lady Raiders. Erin Grant had 12 assists, the sixth time this season she has reached double figures.
Ashley Bobb had 14 points and Terra Wallace added 11 for Texas-Arlington.
A Look Ahead
The winner of Monday night's game will advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 in Philadelphia, Pa. The regional games for that site are scheduled for March 27 and 29.
NCAA Stats
As of games through March 14, Texas Tech ranks second in blocked shots per game at 7.4, fourth in field goal percentage defense at 34.3, sixth in turnovers per game 13.6, ninth in assists per game at 17.4, 10th in scoring margin at 17.6, 16th in scoring defense at 54.3, 20th in field goal percentage at 45.5, 23rd in rebound margin at 6.3, 24th in scoring offense at 71.9 and 26th in personal fouls per game at 14.4, among all NCAA Division I teams. Junior Erin Grant ranks third in assists per game at 6.9 and senior Cisti Greenwalt ranks 10th in blocked shots per game at 3.3, among all NCAA Division I players.
Another 20-Win Season
Texas Tech is 23-7, marking its 16th-straight 20-win season and Marsha Sharp's 20th in her 23 years as head coach. It is also the 23rd 20-win season overall for the Lady Raiders.
All-Big 12 Honors
Senior Cisti Greenwalt and junior Erin Grant garnered first team All-Big 12 honors, while junior Chesley Dabbs was named to the second team, which was voted on by the league coaches. Junior LaToya Davis and sophomore Alesha Robertson were honorable mention selections. Greenwalt, Dabbs and Davis were all first time all-conference honorees, as Grant was second team and Robertson was honorable mention in 2004.
Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist
Head coach Marsha Sharp was named a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year. She was one of 20 coaches in the country selected to the finalist list.
Davis Leads Tech with Career High and Another Double-Double Junior LaToya Davis led Texas Tech in its win over Texas-Arlington as she scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds, while adding three steals and two blocks. Davis was 11-for-14 from the field for the night. It was her fourth double-double of the year.
Grant Making the Pass
Junior Erin Grant dished out 12 assists against UTA, marking her sixth game of the season to tally 10 or more assists in a game. Grant also collected a season-high seven rebounds against the Mavs.
Another High Shooting Performance
Texas Tech shot 53.8 percent from the field against UTA, marking its 11th game of 50 percent or better from the field this season. The Lady Raiders' season best has been 57.1 percent at Oklahoma State.
Griffin Ties Career Highs
Freshman Darrice Griffin tied her career-high 11 points in Tech's loss in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament to Baylor March 10. Griffin had scored 11 points earlier in the year against Idaho State.
Season-High Boards for Dabbs
Junior Chesley Dabbs grabbed a season-high nine rebounds against the Lady Bears in the Big 12 Tournament semis. Dabbs recorded a previous season high of eight rebounds versus Virginia Tech back in December. Her career high is 11 against Colorado last year.
Robertson Matches High Assists
Sophomore Alesha Robertson matched her career-high four assists against Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Robertson has dished out four assists five times in her career, including three occasions this season.
Starters Put Up Numbers
The five starters combined for 56 of Tech's 61 points against Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Junior Chesley Dabbs and sophomore Alesha Robertson both had a team-high 13 points, while senior Cisti Greenwalt and junior Erin Grant each added 12 points. Robertson hit the game-winning free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining in the game. Junior LaToya Davis chipped in three points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Grant also dished out a game-high nine assists. Freshman Judith Smith came off the bench and hit two key three-pointers for the Lady Raiders.
40 More Minutes
Junior Erin Grant played all 40 minutes against the Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament, which was the third time for her this season. She also recorded 40-minute games against Oklahoma and at Baylor. She also has played all but one minute in three contest this season.
Greenwalt Sets Single-Season Block Record
Senior Cisti Greenwalt has recorded 98 blocks this season which sets a new Texas Tech and Big 12 record for blocks in a single season. She broke former Lady Raider Crystal Boles' record of 90 blocks which was registered during the 1996-97 season.
Upperclassmen Take Charge
Senior Cisti Greenwalt and junior Erin Grant, LaToya Davis and Chesley Dabbs combined to score 75 of Texas Tech's 83 points at Oklahoma. Grant led the way with a season-high 21 points followed by Davis with 20, Greenwalt with 19 and Dabbs with 15. The foursome then combined for 50 of Tech's 65 points in its win over Oklahoma State. Greenwalt and Davis both finished with 14 points, while Dabbs and Grant chipped in 11 points apiece.
Tech's Post Masters
Post players senior Cisti Greenwalt and junior LaToya Davis have scored in double figures in 21 games this season. Greenwalt has played in all 30 games, while Davis has seen action in 29, missing one game with an injured knee. Davis has scored in double digits in seven of the last eight games. Greenwalt leads the team in scoring at 13.0, while Davis is second at 12.5.
Grant Breaks School Record
Junior Erin Grant became Texas Tech's career leader for assists in the win over Texas A&M. The Arlington, Texas, native recorded 10 assists against the Aggies to give her the school record. Grant currently has 648 career assists, which ranks third all-time in the Big 12.
Greenwalt Scores 1,000th Point, Gets Another Double-Double
Senior Cisti Greenwalt put up her 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 rebounds against Texas A&M. It was her 20th double-double of her career. The 10 points enabled Greenwalt to record her 1,000th career point. She now has 1,075 points in her career at Tech.
Dabbs Getting the Minutes
Junior Chesley Dabbs played all forty minutes against Texas A&M, which was the third game this season she has played all 40 minutes of a game. She also played 44 of the 45 minutes in the overtime game versus Virginia Tech in December. She is averaging a team-best 33.2 minutes a game.
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.
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.
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 3-6 against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders beat No. 12/11 Texas (79-62, Jan. 12), No. 14/14 Iowa State (89-62, Feb. 8) and No. 18/19 Iowa State (61-59, March 9), 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), at No. 17/17 Texas (64-43, Feb. 13), at No. 7/8 Baylor (79-69, Mar. 3) and vs. No. 6/6 Baylor (58-57, March 10).
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 12,569 fans a game which ranks third in the country.
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.
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 109-35 in the Big 12.
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 293. 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 97-33 (.746) and 43-21 (.672) in the Big 12. The juniors post a 77-21 (.786) mark and 35-13 (.729) in the conference. The sophomore class is 48-15 (.762) and 22-10 (.688) in the league, while the freshmen are 23-7 (.767) and 12-4 (.750) in the Big 12.
On the Tube
Texas Tech had 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 (L, 79-69). Tech played at Colorado (W, 87-41). The Lady Raiders faced Texas (L, 64-43) on ESPN2. On the Texas Tech Television Network, Tech played 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 (W, 56-53) and Oklahoma State (W, 65-52). In postseason play Tech has had two games on FSN - Iowa State (W, 61-59) and Baylor (L, 59-58); and one game on ESPN2: Texas-Arlington (W, 69-49).
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 250 weeks. That includes the March 14 polls in which Tech is ranked 14th in the Associated Press top 25 poll and 14th 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 is now Tech's career leader for assists with 636, breaking the school record against Texas A&M, Feb. 19. 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.
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)
Sidelined
Freshman Enrica Johnson will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing ACL revision on her right knee on Feb. 4. Johnson is expected to go through approximately six months of rehabilitation. Sophomore Patrice Edwards suffered an ACL injury to her right knee prior to the Big 12 Tournament and will be out the rest of the year. She will undergo surgery after the season.
