Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Face Kansas State In Big 12 Opener
January 02, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2006
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The Game
Texas Tech (5-6/0-0) travels to Manhattan, Kan., to take on Kansas State (10-1/0-0) Wed., Jan. 4, for a 7 p.m. game at Bramlage Coliseum. It is the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.
On the Air
The game if being televised on FSN Midwest with play-by-play by Ben Boyle and Patti Phillips as the color analyst. 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 5-6 on the year after beating Fresno State, 77-67, in its final non-conference game on Dec. 29. On the year, senior LaToya Davis leads the team in scoring at 21.4 points per game followed by senior Erin Grant at 13.8 and junior Alesha Robertson at 10.6. Davis is also the top rebounder, grabbing 10.5 boards per outing, while Robertson is averaging 6.1 rebounds. Davis is shooting a team-high 65.3 percent from the field and Grant is shooting 63.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. Robertson is shooting 80 percent from the free throw line. Grant has a team-high 74 assists and Davis leads the team in steals with 15. Sophomore Erin Myrick is the top shot blocker with 10 blocks. The Lady Raiders are shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from three-point range and 65.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Kansas State owns a 10-1 record after beating UNC Wilmington, 75-49, on Dec. 29, and Saint Peter's, 72-64, on Dec. 30 to win the Saint Peter's College Holiday Classic. In the game versus Saint Peter's, freshman Marlies Gipson scored a game-high 16 points, while senior Jessica McFarland had 15, junior Claire Coggins had 14 and sophomore Kimberly Dietz chipped in 11. McFarland grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists. Coggins tallied five steals on the night.
On the year, Coggins paces the Wildcats in scoring with a 13.5 average followed by Dietz at 11.5 and junior Twiggy McIntyre at 10.8. Freshman Shalee Lehning is the top rebounder, averaging 6.5 boards per contest. Lehning has a team-high 56 assists and McIntyre leads the team in steals with 21. Gipson is the top shot blocker with 27 blocks. K-State is shooting 48.2 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 69.2 percent from the free throw line.
Deb Patterson is in her 10th year at the helm of the Wildcats establishing a career record of 185-104.
Series Record
It is the 14th meeting between Texas Tech and Kansas State with the Lady Raiders holding an 8-5 advantage. The Wildcats have won the last two contests: 55-53, Jan. 22, 2005 in Lubbock and 85-73, March 3, 2004 in Manhattan. The Lady Raiders won the two contests in 2003: a 73-64 triumph March 6 in Lubbock and 71-65 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas March 13. Tech has won seven of the last 10 games and owns a 2-2 record against K-State in Manhattan.
Last Time vs. Kansas State
Jan. 22, 2005 (AP) - Kendra Wecker made a layup with 7.4 seconds left to cap off a 19-point performance and lead No. 20 Kansas State past 10th-ranked Texas Tech 55-53.
Kansas State got the ball to Wecker when they needed points and she delivered, scoring the Wildcats' final seven points.
With less than a minute remaining and Kansas State up 53-51, Texas Tech's LaToya Davis forced a turnover. After a timeout, Erin Grant made a short jumper from inside the lane to tie the game at 53 with 31 seconds remaining.
But Wecker didn't let the turnover bother her. On the ensuing possession, she got the ball on the left side of the lane and went over Cisti Greenwalt for a layup to put the Wildcats up 55-53.
A final short shot by Grant rolled off the rim as the buzzer sounded. The loss snapped an eight-game win streak for Tech.
The Lady Raiders scored on only three of their last 11 possessions.
Kansas State's Laurie Koehn scored 12 points, going 4-for-6 on 3-point attempts, while Megan Mahoney had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats.
LaToya Davis scored 16 points and Robertson added 10 for Tech.
There were 13 lead changes and six ties in the second half with neither team going ahead by more than three points.
Tech led 27-26 at halftime, after both team shot poorly to end the period. The Lady Raiders went just 1-for-8 in the final 6:38 of the half. The Wildcats were 3-of-9 down the stretch but used a 7-3 run, with five points by Mahoney, in the final 1:55.
Big 12 Openers
Texas Tech is 8-1 in Big 12 openers with its only loss coming at Iowa State, 62-37, Jan. 2, 2000. The Lady Raiders are 4-1 in Big 12 openers on the road.
Last Time Out
(AP) - LaToya Davis scored 27 points, including 18 in the first half, to lead Texas Tech past Fresno State 77-67 Thursday night.
Davis converted seven of nine shots before halftime to help the Lady Raiders build a 37-29 lead. She was 10-of-12 from the field for the game.
Fresno State battled back and eventually tied the game at 47-47 with 9:50 left on an inside basket by Brittani Green. But Tech never lost the lead.
Mirenda Swearengin led the Bulldogs with 19 points, and Amy Parrish had 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Fresno State was within a basket at the 6:16 mark, but Tech answered with a three-point play by Alesha Robertson and a pair of free throws by LaVonda Henderson for a 62-55 lead.
The Lady Raiders had their lead cut to three twice after that, but they converted eight of 10 free throws in the final 1:31.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech returns home for two Big 12 games: Jan. 7 vs. Texas A&M at 7 p.m. and Jan. 15 vs. Baylor at 2 p.m. The Texas A&M game will be televised on the Texas Tech Television Network, while the Baylor game will air on FSN. Tech hits the road for a game at Oklahoma on Jan. 18. The game is being televised on the Sooner Sports Network, which will air locally in Lubbock on UPN. The Lady Raiders will host Nebraska on Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. on FSN.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Dec. 19, Texas Tech ranks 21st in turnovers per game at 13.9, among all NCAA Division I teams. Senior LaToya Davis ranks seventh in field goal percentage at 65.1, eighth in points per game at 21.3 and 23rd in rebounds per game at 10.3 and senior Erin Grant ranks eighth in assists per game at 6.8, among all NCAA Division I players.
Senior CLASS Finalists
Seniors LaToya Davis and Erin Grant have been named one of 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 the 10 finalists in February.
Grant Closing in on Big 12 Record
Senior Erin Grant holds the Texas Tech career assists record with 735 assists. Grant's 735 assists are second all-time in the Big 12 Conference. Standing in first is Stacey Dales (Oklahoma 1998-02) with 764 assists. Grant has averaged 220.3 assists per year in her first three seasons.
Robertson on the Move
Junior Alesha Robertson has 915 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 (298) and ninth in three-point field goals made (110).
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. Davis has 17 double-doubles in her career.
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 1,003 points in her career.
More Double-Doubles for Davis
Senior LaToya Davis registered her fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season as she had 24 points and tied her season-high 13 rebounds against Louisville, and 16 points and 12 rebounds versus Virginia Tech in the Caribbean Classic. Davis has 16 double-doubles in her career. 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 the last three 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.
Fourth Double-Double for Davis
Senior LaToya Davis had her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds at Penn State. The 13 rebounds tied her season high.
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. She also recorded season highs of 19 points and nine rebounds.
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. Grant currently has 735 career assists.
Another Henderson in the Making
The football team may have standout running back Taurean Henderson, but the Lady Raiders have another Henderson who is making her presence known on the basketball court - Tiny Henderson. Even though the two are not related both play an important role in their respective sports. Tiny Henderson, a Lubbock native, has started all eight games this season and scored in double figures in four of the eight games this year. She has also made a defensive presence, guarding some of the best players in the country. Against Sac State, she had career highs of five assists and four rebounds and scored 10 points in 34 minutes. In the prior game against Stanford, Henderson scored a career-high 16 points as she played a career-high 38 minutes.
Davis Doing Double Duty
Senior LaToya Davis recorded her third double-double of the year as she had 15 points and 13 rebounds versus Stanford.
Another Double-Double
Senior LaToya Davis registered her second double-double of the season and the 12th of her career as she finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds against Rice.
Smith Matches High Point Total
Sophomore Judith Smith came off the bench to tie her career high of 14 points at Rice and at Ole Miss. She also matched her career high of two three-pointers in both games.
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.
Myrick Grabs High
Sophomore Erin Myrick grabbed a career-high eight rebounds at Rice. Her previous career-high was seven against Texas last season. She also scored a season-high eight points at Ole Miss.
Flowers Big on the Boards
Sophomore Tawanna Flowers grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against SEMO and tied her career-high seven points.
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.
Getting the Start
Sophomore Erin Myrick and freshman Tiny Henderson got their first career starts against LSU. Myrick finished the game with four points, three rebounds and tied her career-high four blocks. Henderson, who played 34 minutes against the Lady Tigers, scored 11 points and added four steals and two assists. The last freshman to get her first start in the opening game was Erin Grant in 2002, which was also in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic against Louisiana Tech held in Knoxville, Tenn., that year.
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 92 of its 102 games it has played at the United Spirit Arena for a .902 winning percentage. In the Sharp era, the Lady Raiders have won 281 of their 325 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
Texas Tech head coach Marsha Sharp has 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 83-28 (.748) mark and 35-13 (.729) in the conference. The junior class posts a record of 54-22 (.711) and 22-10 (.688). The sophomore class is 29-14 (.674) and 12-4 (.750) in the league, while the freshmen are 5-6 (.454).
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), Baylor Jan. 15, Nebraska Jan. 21, at Missouri Jan. 28, at Texas A&M Feb. 5 and at Baylor Feb. 19. Tech will play on FSN Midwest at Kansas State Jan. 4. The Texas Tech Television Network will air the following games: Sac State (W, 63-53), Oral Roberts (W, 99-58), Texas A&M Jan. 7, 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.
Preseason Honors
Senior Erin Grant has been named a preseason Player of the Year Candidate for The State Farm Wade Trophy and the Wooden Award as well as preseason All-Big 12. Grant was also named preseason first team All-America by Women's Basketball News Service and high honorable mention by Street & Smith's . Senior LaToya Davis was named honorable mention by Street & Smith's. Davis, senior Chesley Dabbs and junior Alesha Robertson were selected preseason honorable mention All-Big 12.
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.
Dabbs to Redshirt
Senior Chesley Dabbs is redshirting the this season after having surgery to her left knee on Nov. 10 to repair a torn ACL and meniscus.
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 will be held each Monday starting Jan. 9 from 6-7 p.m. The show will air on KFYO-AM 790 and KKCL-FM 98.1 locally. The site for the show will be announced at a later date.
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.
