Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Set To Host Nebraska Saturday
January 19, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2006
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The Game
Texas Tech (7-8/2-2) hosts Nebraska (10-6/2-3) on Sat., Jan. 21, for a 5 p.m. game at the United Spirit Arena. It is the 13th scheduled meeting between the two schools.
On the Air
The game is being televised on FSN with play-by-play by Kevin Eschenfelder and Debbie Antonelli as the color analyst. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network as Ryan Hyatt (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color analyst) calls the game.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 7-8 on the year and 2-2 in the Big 12 after losing at No. 17/17 Oklahoma, 63-57. On the year, senior LaToya Davis leads the team in scoring at 19.4 points per game followed by senior Erin Grant at 12.7 and junior Alesha Robertson at 11.3. Davis is also the top rebounder, grabbing 10.8 boards per outing, while Robertson is averaging 6.7 rebounds. Davis is shooting a team-high 60.7 percent from the field and Grant is shooting 43.5 percent from behind the three-point arc and 79.7 percent from the free throw line. Grant has a team-high 92 assists and Davis leads the team in steals with 20. Sophomore Erin Myrick is the top shot blocker with 17 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from three-point range and 64.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Nebraska enters the game with a 10-6 overall record and a 2-3 mark in Big 12 play after losing to Texas, 70-62, last Wednesday in Lincoln. In that game, junior Kiera Hardy scored a game-high 29 points and freshman Kelsey Griffin chipped in 12 points. Junior Jessica Gerhart collected five rebounds and senior LaToya Howell tallied five assists. Hardy finished with three steals.
On the year, junior Kiera Hardy paces the Huskers in scoring with a 17.9 average followed by freshman Kelsey Griffin at 14.2. Griffin is the top rebounder, averaging 7.1 boards per contest. Senior LaToya Howell has a team-high 71 assists and Hardy leads the team in steals with 38. Sophomore Danielle Page is the top shot blocker with 15 blocks. Nebraska is shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 35 percent from the three-point arc and 74.4 from the free throw line.
Connie Yori is in her fourth year at the helm of the Huskers establishing a record of 54-52. She is also in her 16th year as a head coach with a career record of 249-192.
Series Record
It is the 13th meeting between Texas Tech and Nebraska with the Lady Raiders holding a 10-2 advantage over the Huskers. Tech won last year's game, 68-58, Jan. 19, in Lincoln. The Lady Raiders have won the last nine contests. Nebraska's last victory was a 62-57 triumph on Feb. 9, 1997, the inaugural season of the Big 12 Conference. Tech is 5-0 against Nebraska in Lubbock.
Last Time vs. Nebraska
Jan. 19, 2005 (AP) - Chesley Dabbs carried Texas Tech with her offense in the first half. Her defense was stellar all game.
Dabbs scored 15 of her 21 points the first 20 minutes and shut down high-scoring Nebraska guard Kiera Hardy for long stretches to lead Texas Tech to its eighth straight win, 68-58 on Wednesday night.
The Lady Raiders made their final eight free throws to hand Nebraska its first home loss in 10 games.
Texas Tech entered the game outscoring teams by an average of 28 points and built a double-digit lead early in the second half. But Nebraska, which knocked off then-No. 2 Baylor in triple overtime a week ago, drew within two with 3:20 left.
Whenever the Huskers looked as if they would take the lead, Texas Tech responded with a key basket, often by Erin Grant, who had 11 of her 16 points in the second half.
Nebraska's Hardy made just 6-of-17 shots and finished with 15 points, 13 under her Big 12-leading average in conference games.
LaToya Davis added 13 points and 11 rebounds and Alesha Robertson finished with 11 points for Tech. Cisti Greenwalt had a game-high 12 rebounds.
Hardy hit a jump shot to trim Texas Tech's lead to 57-55. The Lady Raiders pulled away on Robertson's jumper and free throws by Grant and Davis.
Robertson's 3-pointer with 7:58 left in the first half broke a 17-17 tie and started a 17-8 run that gave the Lady Raiders a 34-25 halftime lead.
Hardy, averaging 27.8 points through four conference games, made a 3-pointer to open the game and then missed 7-of-8 shots before regaining her touch in the second half.
Dabbs made 7-of-12 shots in the first half, but just important, she frustrated Hardy.
LaToya Howell, held scoreless in the first half, scored eight points to provide some offensive spark during the Huskers' comeback.
But when the Huskers needed Hardy the most, she couldn't deliver. She missed the front end of a one-and-one when the Huskers had a chance to tie with under five minutes left, and she missed two other shots when the Huskers were within four points.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Freshman center Courtney Paris had her 10th straight double-double, finishing with 17 points and 19 rebounds as No. 17 Oklahoma beat Texas Tech 63-57 on Wednesday night.
Oklahoma (14-4, 4-0 Big 12) remained the conference's only unbeaten team in league play heading into its game Saturday at defending national champion Baylor.
Texas Tech (7-8, 2-2) was without head coach Marsha Sharp, who was briefly hospitalized earlier in the day after suffering flu-like symptoms during a shootaround at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The Lady Raiders cut a 13-point second-half deficit to one midway through the period before Oklahoma pulled away again.
Texas Tech simply had no answer for Paris, who had her 15th double-double of the season -- tops in NCAA Division I. She's scored in double figures in each of Oklahoma's 18 games.
The Sooners opened the second half on a 7-2 run to take a 44-31 lead on a basket by Paris with 16:42 left. Texas Tech rallied and pulled within 49-48 on center LaToya Davis' three-point play with 10:12 left.
The Sooners pushed their lead back to 10 points, at 58-48, with 6:34 left. Texas Tech came within five points three times after that, but no closer. The Lady Raiders didn't make a basket during the final four minutes.
The Lady Raiders made just 14-of-25 free throws (56 percent) and shot 29.7 percent from the field. Alesha Robertson led Texas Tech with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Oklahoma, which had a 52-40 rebounding edge, used a 10-0 run to close the first half and take a 37-29 at the break.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech hits the road for two games as it plays at Oklahoma State Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. and at Missouri Jan. 28, on FSN at 1 p.m. Tech returns home to face Texas Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. The Lady Raiders will play at Texas A&M Feb. 5, at 3 p.m. on FSN before hosting two-straight home games against Oklahoma State Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. and Colorado Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. The Colorado game will be televised on the Texas Tech Television Network.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Jan. 16, Texas Tech ranks 12th in turnovers per game at 13.7, among all NCAA Division I teams. Senior LaToya Davis ranks eighth in rebounds per game at 11.2, 11th in field goal percentage at 61.6 and 18th in points per game at 19.8, and senior Erin Grant ranks seventh in assists per game at 6.5, 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 753 assists. Grant's 753 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 967 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 (313) and eighth in three-point field goals made (115).
Sharp the Best in the Big 12
Texas Tech head coach Marsha Sharp had produced the most wins of any coach in Big 12 play. Sharp has led the Lady Raiders to a Big 12-leading 111 conference wins since 1997.
Third Double-Double for Robertson
Junior Alesha Robertson recorded her third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds at Oklahoma.
Lady Raiders Swat Season High
As a team, Texas Tech swatted a season-high seven blocks at Oklahoma on Wednesday. Junior Alesha Robertson and sophomore Erin Myrick led the way with two blocks apiece, while senior LaToya Davis, senior Erin Grant and sophomore Darrice Griffin each had one block.
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 1,059 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.
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 753 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).
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 85-30 (.739) mark and 37-15 (.712) in the conference. The junior class posts a record of 56-24 (.700) and 24-12 (.667). The sophomore class is 31-16 (.660) and 14-6 (.700) in the league, while the freshmen are 7-8 (.467) and 2-2 (.500) 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 (L, 63-57) aired 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.
