Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Squares Off With Oklahoma In Norman
January 16, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2006
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Texas Tech (7-7/2-1) vs. #17/16 Oklahoma (13-4/3-0)
January 18, 2006 • Lloyd Noble Center (12,000) • Norman, Okla. • 7 p.m. • SSN
The Game
Texas Tech (7-7/2-1) plays at No. 17/16 Oklahoma (13-4/3-0) on Wed., Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center. It is the 32nd meeting between the two schools.
On the Air
The game is being televised on the Sooner Sports Network with play-by-play by Mark Rodgers and Patti Phillips as the color analyst. The game will be aired back in Lubbock on UPN. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network as Ryan Hyatt calls the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 7-7 on the year and 2-1 in the Big 12 after upsetting then No. 5/5 Baylor, 64-62, last Sunday. On the year, senior LaToya Davis leads the team in scoring at 19.8 points per game followed by senior Erin Grant at 13.0 and junior Alesha Robertson at 10.9. Davis is also the top rebounder, grabbing 11.2 boards per outing, while Robertson is averaging 6.4 rebounds. Davis is shooting a team and Big 12-high 61.6 percent from the field and Grant is shooting 52.9 percent from behind the three-point arc and 79.7 percent from the free throw line. Grant has a team-high 91 assists and Davis leads the team in steals with 20. Sophomore Erin Myrick is the top shot blocker with 15 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from three-point range and 65.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Oklahoma enters the game with a 13-4 overall record and the only undefeated team in the Big 12 Conference with a 3-0 record after beating Oklahoma State, 85-51, last Saturday. In that game, junior Leah Rush scored a game-high 12 points, while junior Chelsi Welch added 13 points, freshman Courtney Paris and senior Laura Andrews each had 12 and juniors Britney Brown and Kendra Moore chipped in 10 apiece. Paris had game highs of 16 rebounds and five blocks. Welch and Brown both had four assists.
On the year, Paris paces the Sooners in scoring and rebounding with a 20.9 points per game average and a 14.8 rebounding average. Brown has a team-high 59 assists and Moore leads the team in steals with 28. Paris is the top shot blocker with 51 blocks. OU is shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 68.3 percent from the free throw line.
Sherri Coale is in her 10th year at the helm of the Sooners establishing a career record of 186-112.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 21-10 advantage over Oklahoma as the Lady Raiders won both games in 2005 - 70-64, Jan. 5, in Lubbock and 83-70, Feb. 23, in Norman. The Sooners were victorious both times in 2004, while the Lady Raiders won both contests in 2003. Tech is 9-6 against OU in Norman.
Last Time vs. Oklahoma
Feb. 23, 2005 (AP) - Just by following coach Marsha Sharp's orders, LaToya Davis methodically helped Texas Tech keep its chances of a Big 12 title alive.
Davis scored 16 of her 20 points in the second half and Erin Grant added a season-high 21 as No. 14 Texas Tech beat Oklahoma 83-70.
Davis scored six points during a 16-4 surge to start the second half and put Tech in control. She hit a pair of free throws to start a string of eight straight points for the Lady Raiders and finished the decisive spurt with a putback of Cisti Greenwalt's miss to make it 59-41.
Beginning with that offensive rebound, Davis scored the Lady Raiders' next 12 points. She added another offensive rebound putback, hit two baskets from the post and nailed all four of her high-arcing foul shots. She had seven rebounds - including five on the offensive glass - in the second half.
When Greenwalt scored to end Davis' run, it stretched the lead to 71-52 - Tech's biggest advantage.
Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said Davis' success was due in part to the Sooners' efforts to stop Greenwalt, who entered the game averaging 13.3 points and 9.6 rebounds.
The Sooners - playing on senior night - staged a brief comeback to make it interesting.
Lauren Shoush hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to start an 11-0 run that pulled Oklahoma within striking distance. Erin Higgins scored underneath and Dionnah Jackson followed with a jumper in the lane and a spinning layup before Beky Preston's layup brought Oklahoma to 71-63.
But Tech scored the next four points, and the Sooners would never get closer than nine thereafter.
Greenwalt finished with 19 points, Chesley Dabbs scored 15 and Alesha Robertson eight as Tech's starters combined for all of the Lady Raiders' points. Tech has won at least 20 games in each of the last 16 seasons.
Sharp said she thought her team was motivated by being one game behind first-place Baylor in the Big 12 standings. The sixth-ranked Bears beat Kansas 70-60 on Wednesday to maintain their lead.
Jackson finished with 23 points for Oklahoma and Shoush had 10. Both were playing their final game at Lloyd Noble Center.
But it was the Lady Raiders who got off to the hot start.
Tech hit 13 of its first 17 shots and led 34-26 after Davis scored in the lane over Oklahoma's Leah Rush. Tech scored on 14 of its first 18 possessions - several times hitting against the Sooners' pressing zone with only a few seconds left on the shot clock.
The Sooners got within 43-37 at halftime, but they were never as close at any time after the break.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Alesha Robertson scored a season-high 22 points and hit a short jumper with less than a second remaining to lead Texas Tech over No. 5 Baylor 64-62 on Sunday.
Robertson, who tied her career high for rebounds with 11, got the inbound pass from Erin Grant on the left side of the lane with 2 seconds remaining. She banked the ball off the backboard to put Tech up with half a second on the clock, handing the defending national champions their second loss of the season.
Baylor's Angela Tisdale got off a final desperation shot from Tech's end of the court that fell well short.
There were 12 lead changes and three ties in the second half.
Tech (7-7, 2-1 Big 12) led 62-57 with 2:48 remaining when Tisdale hit a 3-pointer from the left side and Sophia Young hit a shot from the top of the key to tie it at 62.
The win for Tech was the first in five tries against Baylor (12-2, 2-2).
LaToya Davis scored 11 points and had 15 rebounds for Tech, her ninth double-double of the season. Teammate Erin Myrick got 10 points.
Tech outrebounded Baylor 51-29, a season high for the Lady Raiders. Their previous high of 45 came in a double-overtime loss to Penn State in December.
Tisdale scored 15 points and Young added 14 along with nine rebounds.
Baylor led most of the first half but the Lady Raiders used a 9-0 run to take a 22-20 lead when Robertson hit a layup with 4:21 remaining. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Grant and Robertson helped preserve the advantage, and Tech led 29-28 at halftime.
Tech hit 20 of 57 shots (35 percent) from the field, just slightly worse than the Lady Raiders were shooting coming into the game. In its first two conference games, Tech shot only 36 percent.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech returns home to host Nebraska on Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. on FSN and will play at Oklahoma State Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. The Lady Raiders play at Missouri Jan. 28 on FSN at 1 p.m. Tech hosts Texas on Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. on ESPNU and plays at Texas A&M on Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. on FSN.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Jan. 9, Texas Tech ranks eighth in turnovers per game at 13.5, among all NCAA Division I teams. Senior LaToya Davis ranks ninth in field goal percentage at 62.7, 10th in rebounds per game at 10.9 and 13th in points per game at 20.5 and senior Erin Grant ranks ninth in assists per game at 6.6, among all NCAA Division I players.
Senior CLASS Finalists
Seniors LaToya Davis and Erin Grant have been named two of the 30 finalists for the 2006 Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to the nation's senior player of the year. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional. A national media committee will select 10 finalists in February.
Grant Closing in on Big 12 Record
Senior Erin Grant holds the Texas Tech career assists record with 752 assists. Grant's 752 assists are second all-time in the Big 12 Conference. Standing in first is Stacey Dales (Oklahoma 1998-02) with 764 assists. Grant averaged 220.3 assists per year in her first three seasons.
Robertson on the Move
Junior Alesha Robertson has 951 career points and is looking to crack the 1,000-point mark this season. Robertson stands seventh all-time in three-point field goal attempts (308) and ninth in three-point field goals made (113).
First Top 25 Win
Texas Tech's 64-62 win over No. 5/5 Baylor was the first victory against a team ranked in the Top 25 this season. Tech was 0-2 against teams in the Top 25, which included losses to No. 3/3 LSU and No. 15/13 Stanford.
First Win on Sunday
The win against Baylor marked the Lady Raiders' first win on a Sunday. Tech was 0-3 on Sundays entering the game against the Lady Bears as it had lost to LSU, Stanford and Penn State all on Sunday.
Davis Registers Ninth Double-Double
Senior LaToya Davis registered her ninth double-double of the season as she had 11 points and tied her season-high 15 rebounds against Baylor. It was her 19th double-double of her career.
Robertson Scores Season High, Ties Career-High Rebounds
Junior Alesha Robertson scored a season-high 22 points and tied her career-high 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season in the win over Baylor.
Myrick Chips in 10 in Win
Sophomore Erin Myrick chipped in 10 points in the win against Baylor. She also picked up six rebounds.
Eighth Double-Double for Davis
Senior LaToya Davis collected her eighth double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Texas A&M Jan. 7.
Season-High Boards for Davis
Senior LaToya Davis grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds at Kansas State just one rebound shy of her career-high 16. Davis has recorded nine games of 10 or more rebounds this season.
Davis Gets Seventh Double-Double of Year
Senior LaToya Davis turned in her seventh double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds against Fresno State.
Robertson Registers First Double-Double of 05-06
Junior Alesha Robertson had her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds against Fresno State. The 11 rebounds tied her career high.
Davis Reaches 1,000-Point Plateau
Senior LaToya Davis reached the 1,000th-career point plateau in the game against Fresno State. Davis currently has 1,045 points in her career, which ranks 22nd on Tech's career scoring list.
More Double-Doubles for Davis
Senior LaToya Davis registered her fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season as she had 24 points and 13 rebounds against Louisville, and 16 points and 12 rebounds versus Virginia Tech in the Caribbean Classic. In the Caribbean Classic, Davis averaged 20 points and 12.5 rebounds, both tournament highs.
Davis Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Senior LaToya Davis was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 19 for her performance the week of Dec. 12-18. Davis poured in a career-high 33 points in Texas Tech's 99-58 win over Oral Roberts in the Lady Raiders' lone contest that week. Davis scored 25 of her points in the first half. The Houston, Texas, native shot 81.3 percent from the field, hitting 13-of-16 shots. Davis was also 7-of-10 from the free throw line for 70 percent. She added eight rebounds and a steal in the 41-point victory in 25 minutes of action.
Myrick Putting Up Points
Sophomore Erin Myrick has scored in double figures in three-straight games, including a career-high 17 points against Oral Roberts. Myrick scored 16 points against Louisville and 14 points versus Virginia Tech.
Biggest Win of the Season
Texas Tech got its biggest win of the season in a 41-point victory as it beat Oral Roberts 99-58 Dec. 15.
Davis Keeps on Going
Senior LaToya Davis scored a career-high 33 points in just 25 minutes of play against ORU, including 25 first-half points. Her previous career high was 26 on two occasions.
First Double-Double of the Year for Grant
Senior Erin Grant recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 assists against the Golden Eagles. The 11 assists tied her season high.
Career Highs for Myrick and Baughman
Sophomore Erin Myrick poured in a career-high 17 points against ORU, while junior Brooke Baughman dished out a career-high nine assists.
Starters Score in Double Digits
All five of Tech's starters scored in double figures against Oral Roberts led by Davis with 33, Grant and Myrick with 17 apiece and junior Alesha Robertson and freshman Tiny Henderson with 11 each.
Season-High Field Goal Percentage
The Lady Raiders shot a season-high 62.5 percent from the field (40-64) versus ORU. They shot 74.2 percent in the second half (23-31).
Grant Pours in Career High Points
Senior Erin Grant poured in a career-high 28 points in Tech's double overtime loss to Penn State. Her previous high was 27 against Kansas in 2004. She also hit a season-high two three-pointers against the Lady Lions.
Block Buster
Junior Alesha Robertson tallied four blocks at Penn State for a new career high. Robertson's previous high was two blocks on three occasions.
Davis Rallies in Second Half
Senior LaToya Davis scored just three points in the first half against Sacramento State as she played only eight minutes before picking up two fouls. Davis came back in the second half to spark the Lady Raiders as she scored 21 of her 24 points playing the final 20 minutes of the game. She was 10-for-12 on the night and collected nine rebounds.
Grant First to 700
Senior Erin Grant became the first player in Texas Tech history to collect 700 assists in her career. Grant got her 700th-career assist on a dish inside to senior LaToya Davis in the game against Sacramento State. She has 752 assists.
Grant Dishes Double Digits
Senior Erin Grant dished out 11 assists at Rice, marking her first double-digit assist game this season. She also had 11 assists versus Oral Roberts. She has had 19 games of 10+ assists in her career.
Davis Sets Tip-Off Classic Record
Senior LaToya Davis set a new State Farm Women's Tip-Off Classic record for field goal percentage as she was 10-for-13 for 76.9 percent against LSU. The old mark was 72.8 percent held by three players.
Great Fan Support
Texas Tech had 14,641 fans in attendance for the State Farm Women's Tip-Off Classic, marking the 10th-largest crowd at the United Spirit Arena for a women's basketball game.
Home Sweet Home
Texas Tech has won 94 of its 104 games it has played at the United Spirit Arena for a .904 winning percentage. In the Sharp era, the Lady Raiders have won 283 of their 327 home contests (.865 percent). Tech has produced five perfect seasons at home 1999-00 (16-0), 1998-99 (14-0), 1995-96 (16-0), 1992-93 (15-0) and 1991-92 (11-0).
Sharp the Best in the Big 12
Entering the 2006 Big 12 season, Texas Tech head coach Marsha Sharp had produced the most wins of any coach in Big 12 play. Sharp had led the Lady Raiders to a Big 12-leading 109 conference wins since 1997.
Diploma in Hand
Senior Erin Grant is not only a standout on the court, but also in the classroom. Grant graduated from Texas Tech last May with degrees in marketing and general business in just three years. She is currently working on her MBA.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class is 85-29 (.746) mark and 37-14 (.725) in the conference. The junior class posts a record of 56-23 (.709) and 24-11 (.686). The sophomore class is 31-15 (.674) and 14-5 (.737) in the league, while the freshmen are 7-7 (.500) and 2-1 (.667) in the Big 12.
Sister Act
The Lady Raiders welcome their first pair of sisters to their roster this season in sophomore Darrice Griffin and freshman Teddy Griffin. They are also the first second generation players to play for head coach Marsha Sharp. The Griffins' mother, Tami Wilson, played for Texas Tech in 1990-92.
On the Tube
Texas Tech will have 17 regular-season games televised this season. Tech will appear on ESPN2 three times: LSU (L, 68-76), at Penn State (L 2OT, 72-78) and at Texas Feb. 26; and on ESPNU once: Texas Feb. 1. The Lady Raiders will play on FSN six times: Stanford (L, 63-66), (W, 64-62), Nebraska Jan. 21, at Missouri Jan. 28, at Texas A&M Feb. 5 and at Baylor Feb. 19. Tech played on FSN Midwest at Kansas State (L, 51-53). The Texas Tech Television Network will air the following games: Sac State (W, 63-53), Oral Roberts (W, 99-58), Texas A&M (W, 56-55), Colorado Feb. 11 and Oklahoma March 1. Tech's game at Oklahoma Jan. 18 will be on the Sooner Sports Network and broadcast back to Lubbock.
ESPN Experts Like Grant
ESPN.com grilled its panel of experts - bracket Charlie Creme, columnist Mechelle Voepel and ESPN's Nancy Lieberman and Beth Mowins on their picks for the 2005-06 season. Texas Tech's Erin Grant was picked the best passer in the country by Creme, Lieberman and Voepel, while Voepel chose Grant as the best ball handler in the nation. Creme and Lieberman also picked the Lady Raiders to win the Big 12 Championship.
Follow the Lady Raiders
All Lady Raider basketball games can be heard live on the Texas Tech Sports 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)
Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp's weekly television show, Lady Raider Basketball with Marsha Sharp, is televised every Sunday on FOX34 at 10 p.m. and UPN Lubbock at 10:30 p.m.
The Marsha Sharp Radio Show
The Marsha Sharp Radio Show is held each Monday starting from 6-7 p.m. at the southend meeting rooms at the United Spirit Arena. The show will air on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally.
Lady Raiders Ink Two to National Letters of Intent
Texas Tech signed two standout student-athletes to National Letters of Intent: Raquel Christian (Midland, Texas) and Jordan Murphree (Brock, Texas). Christian is a 5-7 guard from Midland High School and Murphree is a 5-11 guard from Brock High School.
Lubbock - The Place to Live
The first-ever Coldwell Banker® College Market Home Price Comparison Index (HPCI) found that fans and alumni of Texas Tech should stand and cheer. Lubbock, Texas, ranks as the most affordable college town in the study, with an average home price of $164,133. The College Market HPCI evaluated average home values for a single-family dwelling in a middle-management community measuring approximately 2,200 square feet with four bedrooms, two and one-half baths, a family room (or equivalent) and two-car garage. The snapshot study examined 59 markets that are home to the premier college football programs in the country. Palo Alto, Calif., home of Stanford, topped the charts as the most expensive college town in the index at $1,550,000.
