Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Host Oklahoma on ESPN
March 04, 2005 | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2005
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech Red Raiders have their fifteenth home game of the season and their sixteenth conference game on Saturday as they host the Sooners of the University of Oklahoma at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
The game will be televised on ESPN with a 5 PM tip-off. Ron Franklin will call the play-by-play. Fran Fraschilla will provide the color analysis. Stacey Dales-Shuman will be the sideline reporter. John Harris will call the courtside action for Texas Tech and Chris Cassidy will provide the analysis on KKAM (1340 AM), the flagship station for the Red Raiders.
According to Dave Welsh, Texas Tech Ticket Manager, the final conference game of the season was sold out on Thursday morning.
Texas Tech has won thirteen of their last eighteen games and has a 13-1 record at home this season. The Red Raiders are 18-8 for the season and 10-5 in conference play after their 72-66 road win over Baylor on March 2.
Texas Tech led Baylor at halftime by four points, 40-36. The Red Raiders outscored the Bears 32-30 in the second half for the six-point win in Waco.
The Raiders made 17-of-29 (58.6%) first half attempts and then hit 13-of-20 (65.0%) second half attempts to end the game at 61.2% (30-for-49). Baylor shot 44.0% in the first half (11-of-25) and then increased their percentage to 54.2% in the second half as they made 13-of-24 attempts (54.2%).
Ronald Ross was the leading scorer for the Raiders with 18 points. It was the ninth time this season the senior from Hobbs, New Mexico has led the team in scoring. Devonne Giles and Darryl Dora each scored 14 points. Martin Zeno added 12 points.
Ronald Ross continues to move up in the 1000 Point Club. He now has 1,031 career points and ranks 27th on the all-time scoring list and is just behind Eugene Carpenter's 1,035 points from 1953-1956. Ronald also has 64 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. Ronald has tied Andre Emmett's top mark of 64 steals in the 2002-2003 season.
Devonne Giles has 48 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 26 games this season. Four Raiders (Ronald Ross, Jarrius Jackson, Martin Zeno, and Devonne Giles) have started each of the 15 conference games.
Oklahoma is 22-6 for the season and they have won their last five conference games. The Sooners are averaging 75.6 points per game for the season and are scoring 73.3 ppg in conference play. Their defense has allowed 62.6 ppg for the season and 64.7 ppg in conference play.
Tonight's game will be the 36th meeting between the two teams. The series began on December 27, 1944. Overall, Oklahoma leads the series 21-14. They lead the series in Norman 13-5 while Texas Tech has a 9-6 edge in Lubbock. The Sooners have a two-game margin (2-0) on neutral courts
Last season, the teams split their two-game series with each team winning on their home court. On January 19, the Raiders won 67-47 in Lubbock as the Sooners won in Norman 63-48 on February 11.
This season, the Raiders downed the Sooners 88-81 in Norman on February 5. Jarrius Jackson established a new career-best with 32 points against Oklahoma. Devonne Giles scored 17 points and Ronald Ross added 14 points.
Taj Gray led the Sooners in scoring with 20 points. Lawrence McKenzie tallied 16 points. Drew Lavender chipped in 13 points and Terrell Everett 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 14.9 points per game. Martin Zeno averages 13.5 points per game. Devonne Giles is next with 11.8 points per game.
The Raiders are averaging 79.7 points per game for the season and are scoring 75.1 ppg in conference play. Their defense has allowed 70.1 ppg for the season and 74.5 ppg in conference games.
With 850 career victories over 39 seasons, Coach Bob Knight will be on the sidelines for his 1,181st game with Saturday's home game against Oklahoma. He is only the third coach to amass 850 wins in his career. The late Adolph Rupp won 876 games and Dean Smith leads everyone with 879 career wins.
Polk Robinson, former student-athlete, coach, and administrator will be honored at halftime of Saturday's game. Polk Robison coached at Texas Tech from 1942-46 and again from 1947-1961. He compiled a 248-195 record. He is second all-time in victories. Gerald Myers, who played for Robison, is first with 326 career victories.
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.
