Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Face No. 14/11 Oklahoma on Saturday
February 15, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2007
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Texas Tech (15-11/6-6) vs. #14/11 Oklahoma (19-4/9-3)
February 17, 2007 • United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Lubbock, Texas • 1 p.m. • FSN
The Game
Texas Tech (15-11/6-6) hosts No. 14/11 Oklahoma (19-4/9-3) on Sat., Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. The Lady Raiders and the Sooners are meeting for the second time this season and the 35th time in the series.
On the Air
The game is being televised on FSN with Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (color analyst) calling the game. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network with play-by-play by Ryan Hyatt and Crystal Boles as the color analyst. Fans can also listen to the game on the internet at www.texastech.com through RaiderVision All-Access.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 15-11 on the year and 6-6 in the Big 12 upsetting No. 19/20 Nebraska, 70-69, last Wednesday in Lincoln. On the year, senior Alesha Robertson leads the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game followed by freshman Jordan Murphree at 9.1 and junior Erin Myrick at 8.7. Robertson is the top rebounder, grabbing 8.7 boards per outing. Senior Patrice Edwards is shooting a team-high 55.6 percent from the field. Senior Brooke Baughman is shooting 34.4 percent from three-point range, while Robertson has a team-best 79.7 free throw percentage. Murphree has team highs of 80 assists and 34 steals. Myrick is the top shot blocker with 45 blocks. Tech is shooting 41 percent from the field, 32 percent from the three-point arc and 70 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Oklahoma owns a 19-4 overall record and is 9-3 in Big 12 play after beating Texas, 78-58, last Monday in Norman. On the year, sophomore Courtney Paris paces the Sooners in scoring at 23.3 points per game and in rebounding at 15.8 boards per contest. Seniors Chelsi Welch and Leah Rush are both averaging 9.7 points a game. Senior Britney Brown has a team-high 81 assists, while senior Kendra Moore leads the team in steals with 32. Paris is the top shot blocker with 79 blocks. OU is shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three-point range and 62.6 percent from the free throw line.
The Coaches
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is in her first year at the helm of the Lady Raider basketball program and enters the game with a 15-11 record. Curry is in her eighth year as a head coach with a career record of 194-62.
In her 11th year at Oklahoma, Sherri Coale has established a career record of 223-117.
Series Record
Texas Tech holds a 21-13 advantage over Oklahoma. OU won the first game of the season, 86-81, in double-overtime in Norman on Jan. 22. The Sooners also won both games last year, 63-57, Jan. 18, in Norman and 60-59, March 1, in Lubbock. 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 12-4 against OU in Lubbock.
Last Time vs. Oklahoma
Jan. 22, 2007 (AP) - Texas Tech battled No. 6 Oklahoma into two extra frames but couldn't pull off the upset, falling 86-81. Courtney Paris recorded her 45th straight double-double, finishing with 22 points and 17 rebounds for Oklahoma. Five players scored in double figures for Texas Tech, led by Alesha Robertson, who finished with 20. Six-foot-6 Patrice Edwards added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Raiders. It was Oklahoma's first double-overtime game since Dec. 21, 2000, when the Sooners beat San Diego. Texas Tech played its last two-overtime game on Feb. 23, 2000, a win over Texas. Oklahoma struggled with turnovers for much of the game, finishing with 21, and never led by more than eight points. The Sooners led by six with three minutes left in regulation, but Texas Tech rallied to go ahead 67-63 with 44.2 seconds left, and Oklahoma needed a 3-pointer by Erin Higgins with 7.6 seconds left to forge a 68-68 tie. Texas Tech's Chesley Dabbs, who scored 13 points, missed a 10-footer at the buzzer.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Patrice Edwards hit two free throws with 24 seconds left then blocked a potential game-winning shot to push Texas Tech to a 70-69 win over No. 19 Nebraska on Wednesday night. Texas Tech survived three scoring chances for Nebraska in the final 8 seconds.
Nebraska's Kelsey Griffin missed a pair of free throws with eight seconds left. But teammate Yvonne Turner grabbed the rebound, going up for a short jumper that Edwards blocked out of bounds.
Griffin got the inbounds pass, drove the lane and tried to force a pass to Jelena Spiric that the Lady Raiders knocked out of bounds. Kiera Hardy missed a long 3-point shot at the buzzer that hit the rim and bounced off.
Texas Tech, which led by six at half, built an eight-point margin on Edwards' inside shot that made the score 49-41 with 12:41 remaining. Most of the Lady Raiders' advantage at that point came from hitting 7 of 9 3-point shots.
Nebraska came storming back, putting together a 16-5 run, taking the lead on Turner's 3-pointer with 9:13 remaining and going up 57-54 after Turner stole the ball and hit a layup 14 seconds later.
The Lady Raiders retook the lead with four straight free throws. The game seesawed in the final eight minutes with Texas Tech leading by as many as three.
Nebraska went up 69-68 on Hardy's driving layup with 1:20 left.
LaVonda Henderson led Texas Tech with 17 points, hitting 8 of 10 shots. Edwards had 16 points. Raquel Christian had 12 for the Lady Raiders, Brooke Baughman added 11 and Alesha Robertson finished with 10.
Hardy had 16 points to lead Nebraska. Danielle Page had 14 points for the Huskers, Chelsea Aubry had 12 and Griffin ended with 10 points.
Lady Raider Coaches
When Kristy Curry was hired as head coach, she put together one of the top coaching staffs in the country. Joining Curry on the bench this season are associate head coach Bill Brock and assistant coaches Kelly Curry and Shereka Wright. Brock comes to Tech after spending the last six seasons at Baylor. Curry arrived on the South Plains after spending the past seven years at Purdue. Wright, who was an All-American for Curry at Purdue and plays in the WNBA, is in her first year in the coaching profession.
A Look Ahead
Texas Tech hosts Oklahoma on Sat., Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. on FSN. Tech's final three conference games include road games at Texas A&M on Wed., Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.; at Texas Sat., Feb. 24, at 3 p.m. on FSN; and the final home game against Iowa State on Thurs., March 1, at 7 p.m. The Big 12 Championship takes place March 6-10, at the Cox Center in Oklahoma City.
NCAA RPI
According to the NCAA's ratings percentage index (RPI), Texas Tech's RPI is 41st among all Division I schools as of games through Feb. 11.
NCAA Stats
As of games through Feb. 11, Texas Tech ranks 35th in blocked shots at 4.8 and 45th in field goal percentage defense at 37.3, among all NCAA Division I teams.
Closing in on 200
Head coach Kristy Curry is closing in on her 200th victory. Curry is just six wins shy of the 200 mark with a career record of 194-62.
One for the Record Books
The game against No. 10/11 Arizona State was one for the record books, as for the first time in the history of NCAA women's basketball, a game was called due to rain. The Lady Raiders played the Sun Devils at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the outdoor game was called with 4:18 remaining due to rain.
Big 12 Has Big Weekend Crowds
Three Big 12 women's basketball games had over 10,000 fans in attendance on Sat., Jan. 27. This is the second time in the last three seasons the league has posted crowds of over 10,000 on the same day at three different sites. On Jan. 27, the Texas at Texas Tech game registered 12,365 fans while Texas A&M at Oklahoma had 11,486 in attendance and Kansas State and Iowa State played in front of 10,877 in Ames. This feat also happened on Feb. 26, 2005, as 13,535 patrons watched Oklahoma State play at Texas Tech, 11,473 were in attendance at the Texas A&M at Iowa State contest and 11,254 attended the Kansas at Kansas State game.
Outrebounding Opponents
In 15 of 26 games this season, the Lady Raiders have outrebounded their opponents, while tying one team. Tech's biggest rebound margin was 17 against Denver, and its biggest margin in conference play has been 16 versus Missouri. Tech has outrebounded its opponents in the last two games.
First Ever Back-to-Back Wins By One Point
For the first time in school history, Texas Tech won back-to-back games by just one point. Tech beat Texas, 49-48, on Jan. 27, in Lubbock and then defeated Kansas, 66-65, on Jan. 31, in Lawrence. Tech's last three wins, including the 70-69 victory at Nebraska, have all been by one point.
Myrick Named Second Team Academic All-District
Junior Erin Myrick was named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI second team. A native of Duarte, Calif., Myrick is majoring in broadcast journalism with minors in English and Spanish and currently has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.67. She will graduate with her bachelor's degree in May.
Double-Digit Boards
Senior Alesha Robertson has also collected double-figure boards on nine occasions this year, including a career-high 17 at Fresno State, while junior Erin Myrick has also grabbed double-digit rebounds nine times this season, including tying her career high of 13 on three occasions.
Robertson Moves into Top Eight
Senior Alesha Robertson has moved into the top eight on Texas Tech's career scoring list. Robertson's 1,516 career points ranks her eighth among Tech's all-time scoring leaders.
Robertson Hits 700 Rebounds
Senior Alesha Robertson reached the 700-rebound mark at SMU when she recorded eight boards against Kansas State. She currently has 705 rebounds in her career and needs 41 more boards to move into the top 10 on Tech's career rebounds list.
Edwards Improving Scoring Average
Senior Patrice Edwards has averaged 14 points per game in the last nine games as she has scored in double figures in eight of those games. Her scoring average is up 8.7 points per game from the first 17 games this season.
Henderson Scores Career High Against Huskers
Sophomore Tiny Henderson poured in a career-high 17 points in the Lady Raiders' win at Nebraska. She was 8-for-10 from the field on the night. Henderson's previous career high was 16 against Stanford in 2005.
Fourth Double-Double for Edwards
Senior Patrice Edwards scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season and in her career. It was her second straight double-double as well.
Double Digits for Five at Nebraska
Along with sophomore Tiny Henderson's 17 points and senior Patrice Edwards' 16, three other Lady Raiders scored in double figures at Nebraska. Freshman Raquel Christian scored 12 points, while seniors Brooke Baughman and Alesha Robertson had 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Nailing the Three
The Lady Raiders nailed 8-of-13 three-pointers at Nebraska for a season-high 61.5 percent from the three-point arc. Senior Brooke Baughman led the way as she hit 3-of-4 three-point attempts.
Third Career Double-Double for Edwards
Senior Patrice Edwards got her third career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds versus Kansas State.
Edwards Pours in Career High
Senior Patrice Edwards poured in a career-high 33 points in Texas Tech's loss to No. 15/15 Baylor last Wednesday. Edwards was 13-for-18 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free throw line. Her previous career high was 14 points at Oklahoma State in January. She also added eight rebounds in the game. It marked the first time a Lady Raider had scored 30 points or more since LaToya Davis had 33 versus Oral Roberts on Dec. 15, 2005.
Four Starters Score in Double Figures
Along with senior Patrice Edwards, three other starters scored in double figures for the Lady Raiders against Baylor. Edwards led the way with 33 points followed by freshman Jordan Murphree with 11, senior Alesha Robertson with 10 and junior Erin Myrick with 10. Murphree also had seven assists in the game.
Robertson Putting Up Points
Senior Alesha Robertson recorded back-to-back games of 20-plus points for the first time this season. She scored 20 points at Kansas and a season-high 21 at Colorado. Robertson has scored 20+ points in three of the last five games.
Robertson Scores 20, Clinches Tech Victory
Senior Alesha Robertson scored 20 points, including a free throw with 16 seconds left in the game to give Texas Tech a 66-65 win at Kansas. Robertson also grabbed nine rebounds in the victory.
Myrick Records Fifth Double-Double
Junior Erin Myrick recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Texas.
Tech Gets Win Despite Poor Shooting
Texas Tech shot a season-low 26.3 percent from the field against Texas, but pulled out a 49-48 victory. The Lady Raiders hit just 15 of 57 shot attempts.
Five in Double Figures
For the first time this season, the Lady Raiders had five players score in double figures in the double-overtime loss at Oklahoma. Senior Alesha Robertson led the way as she tied her season high of 20 points. Freshman Jordan Murphree tied her career high of 17 points, while freshman Raquel Christian tied her career high of 14 points. Seniors Chesley Dabbs and Patrice Edwards added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Edwards also grabbed 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and in her career.
Three Straight Double-Doubles
Senior Alesha Robertson recorded three straight double-doubles as she had 14 points and 14 rebounds against Texas A&M, 11 points and 10 rebounds against Missouri and 10 points and 11 rebounds at Oklahoma State. She has nine double-doubles on the year and 15 in her career.
Christian Hits Game Winner, No. 2 on ESPN Plays of the Day
Freshman Raquel Christian hit a 15-foot jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining in the game to give Texas Tech a 63-61 victory at Oklahoma State. The play was No. 2 on ESPN's Top 10 Plays of the Day on Jan. 20. Christian came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points in a career-high 30 minutes of play.
Blocking the Shot
Junior Erin Myrick tied her career high of four blocks against Missouri. It marked the first time this season she had swatted four blocks in a game.
Baughman Hits the Boards
Senior Brooke Baughman was just one rebound shy of double-digit boards as she grabbed a career-high nine rebounds versus Mizzou. Her previous career high was seven set against UCLA in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Second-Largest Victory of Season
Texas Tech had its second-largest victory of the season with a 26-point win over Oklahoma State Jan. 6. The Lady Raiders' largest margin of victory this year is a 27-point win over Tulane.
Block Buster II
For the second time in three games, senior Patrice Edwards swatted a career high in blocks as she recorded five against OSU. She set a previous career high of four at SMU on Dec. 30.
Christian Adds Spark
Freshman Raquel Christian was a spark off the bench for the Lady Raiders against Oklahoma State. Christian scored a then career-high 13 points and sank a career-high three three-pointers in the victory.
Steady Hands
Texas Tech committed just 10 turnovers in the game against Furman. The 10 turnovers was a season low for the Lady Raiders, breaking the old mark of 12 against Oral Roberts.
Season High Field Goal Percentage
Texas Tech shot a season-high 56.9 percent from the field against ORU. Tech was 33-for-58 from the field. It marked the second time this season that the Lady Raiders have shot over 50 percent, the first coming against Tulane (52.7).
All-Tournament Team
Senior Alesha Robertson was named to the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic All-Tournament team. Robertson averaged 15.7 points and 10.3 rebounds as the Lady Raiders went 2-1 in the tournament. Joining Robertson on the all-tournament team were: Erlana Larkins (North Carolina - MVP), Lindsey Pluimer (UCLA), Michelle Elliott (Gonzaga), Janevia Taylor (Hawaii), Camille Little (North Carolina), Donica Cosby (Arkansas) and Ivory Latta (North Carolina).
Degree in Hand
Senior Patrice Edwards has already received her bachelor's degree. Edwards graduated last May with a degree in human development and family studies.
Winning Percentage By Class
The senior class is 79-41 (.658) and 37-23 (.617) in the Big 12. The junior class is 54-33 (.621) and 27-17 (.614) in the league, while the sophomore class is 30-25 (.545) and 15-13 (.536). The freshmen are 15-11 (.577) and 6-6 (.500) in the Big 12.
On the Tube
Texas Tech will have 16 regular-season games televised this season. The Lady Raiders will play on ESPN2 once, FSN three times, FSN SW once, CSTV once, Cox Communications (Oklahoma) once and the Texas Tech Television Network nine times. FSN games include: Oklahoma State (W, 63-61), Oklahoma (Feb. 17), and at Texas (Feb. 24). Tech played on FSN SW against Texas (W, 49-48) in Lubbock. Tech's game with Kansas State (L, 59-66) was on ESPN2. The game at Kansas (W, 66-65) was on CSTV on a taped delayed status. Tech played at Oklahoma (L, 81-86 2OT) on Cox Communications shown throughout the state of Oklahoma. The Lady Raiders had games against Texas-San Antonio (W, 66-58), Tulane (W, 77-50), Oral Roberts (W, 79-67), Furman (W, 63-44), at Baylor (L, 54-61), Oklahoma State (W, 75-49), Texas A&M (L, 47-49), Missouri (W, 63-55) and Baylor (L, 67-80) on the Texas Tech Television Network.
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:
Haskell - KVRP-FM (97.1)
Hereford - KPAN-AM/FM (860/106.3)
Lamesa - KPET-AM (690)
Lubbock - KFYO-AM/KKCL-FM (790/98.1)
Plainview - KVOP-AM (1090)
Lady Raider Basketball with Kristy Curry
Kristy Curry's weekly television show, Lady Raider Basketball with Kristy Curry, will be televised every Sunday. The show will air on FOX34 at 10 p.m. and My Lubbock TV at 10:30 p.m. throughout the rest of the season.
The Kristy Curry Radio Show
The Kristy Curry Radio Show is held each Monday from 6-7 p.m. throughout the rest of the season. The show will air on KFYO-AM 790 locally. The show will be held at Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar located at 4th and Milwaukee.
Tech Signs Top 10 Recruiting Class
Kristy Curry's first recruiting class was ranked 10th in the country by All Star Girls Report. Curry signed three junior college players and one high school player to national letters of intent during the early signing period. The recruiting class consists of Alana Rumph, a 5-9 guard from Keller, Texas, who plays at South Plains College; Dominic Seals, a 6-2 post from Dallas, Texas, who also plays at South Plains College; Keisha Walker, a 5-8 guard from Kansas City, Mo., who plays at Fort Scott Community College; and Jordan Jones, a 5-9 guard from Suwanee, Ga., who attends Collins Hill High School.
