Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Gearing Up for 2008-09 Season
October 16, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 16, 2008
By Antuanet Granda, Texas Tech Athletic Media Relations
The Lady Raiders' weapon of choice this year: Experience.
Entering her third year as the Texas Tech head women's basketball coach, Kristy Curry and the more experienced Lady Raiders are better prepared for a tough 2008-2009 season.
"Our team has a totally different look," said Curry. "They're much more experienced, more seasoned." The Lady Raiders will look to senior forward Dominic Seals, the 2008 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, to provide leadership. Seals led Tech in scoring (13.8) and in rebounding (8.3) last season. After a year of Division I experience under her belt, Curry believes she will be an asset to the team.
"Hopefully Dominic can stay healthy, and there is no question that she has an opportunity to be one of the best players in the league," Curry said. "She's stronger, better conditioned; we're looking for great leadership from her."
Along with Seals, the Lady Raiders return seven other letterwinners in seniors Tiny Henderson, Maria Moore, Alana Rumph and Keisha Walker; and juniors Maddy Brown, Jordan Murphree and Ashlee Roberson, and welcome four newcomers in junior Tilmila Martin and freshmen Jordan Barncastle, Lindie Kimbro and Kierra Mallard, along with redshirt sophomore Kaylan Talley.
Curry and the Lady Raiders hope to improve on last year's 17-16 record and their postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearance.
When asked about the team's goals for this season, Curry believes that there is no question that the Lady Raiders want to take the next step in postseason and make the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately she leaves it up to her team.
"You can't want something for your players that they first don't want for themselves," said Curry. "I know they're eager to have a better year than we did a year ago, and a better year would mean get to the NCAA Tournament."
The Lady Raiders tip-off their 2008-2009 season at home against Idaho on Nov.14. Other teams on this season's schedule include Washington State (Nov.16), UNLV (Dec.2), UCLA (Dec.29), and Arkansas (Jan.3), just to name a few, before opening Big 12 play against Texas on Jan. 10.
With a challenging conference schedule ahead, Curry believes that non-conference play along with this year's home court advantage will prepare the team for those challenges.
"With the competition in our league and the RPI, having a chance to be at home should be a really positive experience for our team," stated Curry.
Known as one of the best environments for collegiate women's basketball, the United Spirit Arena is scheduled to see a total of 20 Lady Raider games this season. Curry believes that the fans will play an important role in the upcoming season.
"They're our sixth man, and Lady Raider Nation is what makes being a Lady Raider in my mind special," Curry stated. "It's one of the many reasons why you want to play at Texas Tech, because of the fan support."
