Texas Tech University Athletics
WNIT Second Round Awaits Lady Raiders
March 21, 2008 | Women's Basketball
March 21, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
2008 Postseason WNIT • Second Round
Texas Tech (16-15) vs. Texas State (21-10)
March 22, 2008 • United Spirit Arena (15,050)
Lubbock, Texas • 7 p.m.
The Game
Texas Tech (16-15) hosts Texas State (21-10) in the second round of the 2008 Postseason WNIT on Sat., March 22, at 7 p.m., at the United Spirit Arena. The Lady Raiders received a first round bye, while the Bobcats beat Prairie View A&M in their first round game. It is the 10th meeting between the two schools. The winner of the game will advance to the third round of the WNIT and face the winner of the TCU-Boise State game.
On the Air
There is no television coverage of this game. The game can be heard on the radio on the Texas Tech Sports Network as Ryan Hyatt and Crystal Boles call the game. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.texastech.com through RaiderVision All-Access.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 16-15 on the year and finished Big 12 play tied for 10th with a 4-12 record. The Lady Raiders are making their first Postseason WNIT appearance. On the year, junior Dominic Seals paces the Lady Raiders in scoring with a 13.8 average followed by sophomore Jordan Murphree at 9.6 and senior Erin Myrick at 9.3. Seals is the top rebounder, grabbing 8.4 boards per outing and Myrick is averaging 5.5 rebounds. Myrick is shooting a team-high 50.7 percent from the field and Murphree is shooting 30.4 percent from three-point range. Seals is 72.2 percent from the free throw line. Junior Maria Moore has team highs of 113 assists and 51 steals. Seals is the top shot blocker with 45 blocks. Tech is shooting 41 percent from the field, 28.9 percent from three-point range and 67.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Texas State enters the game with a 21-10 overall record and won the regular-season Southland Conference title with a 14-2 mark. The Bobcats were victorious in the first round of the WNIT as they overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Prairie View A&M, 84-83, in San Marcos, Texas, on Thursday. In that game, senior Joyce Ekworomadu, the Southland Conference Player of the Year, scored a team-high 20 points, while sophomore Aimee Hilburn and senior Marie Moser added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Hilburn collected 10 rebounds and sophomore Victoria Davis tallied six assists.
On the year, Ekworomadu leads the Bobcats in scoring with an 18.9 average followed junior Ashley Cole at 11.3. Hilburn is the top rebounder, averaging 6.1 boards per contest. Senior Brooke DeGrate has team highs of 88 assists, 85 steals and 21 blocks. Texas State is shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from the three-point arc and 69.3 percent from the free throw line.
The Coaches
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is in her second year at the helm of the Lady Raider basketball program with a 31-31 record. Curry is in her ninth year as a head coach with a career record of 210-82.
Suzanne Fox is in her 11th year as head coach of the Bobcats, establishing a record of 146-167. She is also in her 16th year as a head coach with a career record of 263-200.
Series Record
Texas Tech and Texas State are meeting for the 10th time in the series and the first time in postseason play. The Lady Raiders hold a 9-0 advantage over the Bobcats. The last time these two teams met was during the 2006-07 season as Tech defeated Texas State, 82-63, Nov. 19, 2006, in Lubbock. Tech is 4-0 against the Bobcats in Lubbock.
Common Opponents
Texas Tech and Texas State had four common opponents during the 2007-08 season. Both teams faced Missouri, Kansas State, Baylor and Sam Houston State. Coincidentally, both teams beat Sam Houston State and both teams lost to Missouri, Kansas State and Baylor. The Bobcats beat Sam Houston State twice, while the Lady Raiders fell to Baylor twice.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Brittainey Raven scored a game-high 16 points and Texas used a dominant first-half run to cruise past Texas Tech 75-63 Tuesday night in the first round of the Big 12 women's tournament.
The Longhorns, who had four players with at least 13 points, move on to face second-seeded Baylor. Texas split the season series with the Bears this year, including a 61-51 win in Austin, Texas, the last time the two teams met.
Ashley Lindsey and Kathleen Nash each scored 14 points and Erneisha Bailey added 13 for Texas, which held Texas Tech without a field goal for more than nine minutes in the first half. The Longhorns went on a 19-3 run during that stretch to take a 23-13 lead, and they never led by less than nine for the rest of the game.
Dominic Seals scored 15 points and Jordan Murphree had 14 for Texas Tech, which committed 23 turnovers in its fourth straight loss.
Those turnovers led to 29 points for the Longhorns, who have won four straight after snapping a three-game losing skid. Fourteen of Texas Tech's turnovers came before halftime, when the Lady Raiders fell behind by as many as 18 before closing the gap to 40-29 at the break.
Texas Tech held the deficit around 10 for much of the second half, but the Longhorns never let the game get close.
Maria Moore's 3-pointer cut the lead to 64-55 with just over six minutes left, but the Longhorns responded with a 9-0 run to put the game away. Raven scored on back-to-back fast-break lay-ups during that spurt.
The Lady Raiders and the Longhorns played for the second time in less than a week. Texas won 70-55 in Austin on March 5 in the season finale for both teams.
The only thing that kept Texas Tech close was outside shooting. Ten of the Lady Raiders' 19 made field goals were 3-pointers, but they weren't enough.
Curry Captures 200th Career Win
Head coach Kristy Curry captured her 200th career win in the victory over Kennesaw State Nov. 23. Curry enters the game with a career record of 210-82.
Big 12 Honors for Seals
Junior Dominic Seals was named the 2008 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while being named second team All-Big 12 and to the All-Rookie team. The league honors were voted on by the Big 12 coaches and coaches can not vote for their own players.
Murphree, Myrick Receive Academic Honors
Sophomore Jordan Murphree and senior Erin Myrick were both named Academic All-Big 12 first team and to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI second team. Murphree, a native of Brock, Texas, has a 3.5 GPA in exercise and sport science, while the Duarte, Calif., native Myrick has a 3.6 GPA. Myrick graduated cum laude last May with a degree in broadcast journalism with minors in English and Spanish and is currently working on a second degree in public relations. Murphree was also selected to the Big 12 Winter Sports Good Works Team.
Against the Top 25
Texas Tech is 2-9 against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders got their first top 25 win of the season as they defeated then No. 18/19 Arizona State, 73-69, on Dec. 18. The Sun Devils were the first top 25 team Tech faced this season. Tech fell at then No. 25/21 Arkansas, 80-57, on Jan. 5, and lost to then No. 8/8 Baylor, 72-67, on Jan. 9. The Lady Raiders beat then No. 24/23 Texas, 70-58, on Jan. 20, before losing at then No. 11/11 Oklahoma, 78-39, on Jan. 23. Tech lost at home to then No. 23 Texas A&M, 63-46, on Feb. 2. The Lady Raiders fell at then No. 5/5 Baylor, 66-45, Feb. 9, and suffered a heart-breaking loss to then No. 15/15 Oklahoma State, 58-56, Feb. 14. Tech lost at then No. 20/19 Texas A&M, 70-56, Feb. 17, and then got beat at home by then No. 10/10 Oklahoma, 65-56, Feb 27. The Lady Raiders fell at then No. 17/19 Oklahoma State, 73-54, March 1. Last year, the Lady Raiders beat three top 25 teams (UCLA, Texas, Nebraska).
Career Highs for Seals and Moore in Big 12 Championship
Junior Dominic Seals swatted a career-high four blocks against Texas in the first round of the Big 12 Championship. Her previous high was three blocks four times this season. Junior Maria Moore collected a career-high five steals against the Horns, breaking her previous high of four, which she had against Oral Roberts in December.
Twenty-third Double Digit Game
For the 23rd time this season, junior Dominic Seals scored in double figures as she chipped in 15 points against Texas in the Big 12 Championship.
Murphree Ties Career-High Threes
Sophomore Jordan Murphree hit three three-pointers against the Longhorns during the first round of the Big 12 Championship, which tied her career high. Murphree also had three threes against Oklahoma State on Feb. 14 in Lubbock.
Outrebounding Opponents
For the 21st time this season, the Lady Raiders outrebounded their opponent as they collected two more rebounds than Texas in the first round of the Big 12 Championship. Tech is 14-7 when winning the battle on the boards.
Murphree Increases Scoring Average
Sophomore Jordan Murphree has scored in double digits in eight of the last 11 games. In the last 11 games, she has averaged 11.5 points, an increase of 4.3 points per game compared to the previous 12 contests.
Walker Sinks Career-High Threes
Junior Keisha Walker came off the bench at Texas to hit a career-high three three-pointers en route to scoring a team-high 14 points.
Seals Gets Double Digits Again
Junior Dominic Seals picked up her 22nd double-digit scoring game at Texas as she finished with 12 points. She also added six rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal.
Big Boards for Tiny
Junior Tiny Henderson collected seven rebounds at Texas, which tied her career high. It was the second time this season and the third time in her career to grab seven boards.
What Can Brown Do for You?
Sophomore Maddy Brown came off the bench at Oklahoma State and scored a season-high 16 points as she hit a season-high four three-pointers. She also had a season-high four rebounds and tied her season high of one block.
Murphree Has Fourth-Straight Double Digit Game
Sophomore Jordan Murphree had 12 points at Oklahoma State to mark her fourth-straight game of double-figure scoring.
Eighteen Points Ties Murphree's Season High
Sophomore Jordan Murphree scored a team-high 18 points against Oklahoma, which tied her season-high. She also had 18 points at UNLV back in November. Murphree scored her career high of 19 at Texas A&M last year.
Five Straight for Seals
Junior Dominic Seals finished with 10 points against the Sooners, marking her fifth-straight game of double-digit scoring and her 21st game of the season.
Seals Collects Career-High Steals
Junior Dominic Seals collected a career-high three steals against Oklahoma. Her previous career high was two on five occasions this season.
Third Big 12 Rookie of the Week Honor for Seals
Junior Dominic Seals averaged 18.5 points and seven rebounds while shooting 68.2 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe in Texas Tech's wins against Kansas and Nebraska during the week of Feb. 18-24, to be named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Rookie of the Week. It was the third time for Seals to receive the honor this season.
Seals Gets 20th Double-Figure Scoring Game
Junior Dominic Seals got her 20th double-figure scoring game as she had a game-high 21 points, 19 in the second half, against Nebraska.
Henderson Grabs Rebounds, Collects Assists Versus Huskers
Junior Tiny Henderson tied her career-high seven rebounds against Nebraska. It marked the third time in her career to record seven boards. She also dished out seven assists against the Huskers, just one assist shy of her career high which she had earlier this year against Colorado. She also had four steals, one shy of her career high in that category as well.
Roberson Ties Career-High Blocks
For the third time this season, sophomore Ashlee Roberson tied her career-high three blocks in the win against the Huskers. She has recorded 21 blocks this season, seven in the last three games. Her 21 blocks rank third on the team behind junior Dominic Seals' 36 and senior Erin Myrick's 23.
Strong Second Half for Murphree
Junior Jordan Murphree scored 17 points, all in the second half, to lead Texas Tech to victory over Kansas. The Brock, Texas, native was 6-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
Nineteenth Double-Digit Game
Junior Dominic Seals continues to dominate in the paint. Seals scored 16 points against the Jayhawks for her 19th double-digit scoring game of the season.
Overcoming Deficit
For the first time since the 1998-99 season, the Lady Raiders overcame a 10-plus point halftime deficit to win. Tech trailed Kansas, 33-21, at the half before rallying back for a five-point win. The last time that occurred was when Tech trailed at Oklahoma, 39-27, and then won in overtime, 89-87, on Jan. 27, 1999. The win over Kansas, 65-51, snapped a five-game losing streak for the Lady Raiders. It also gave Tech a nine-game winning streak against KU.
Walker Steps Up
Junior Keisha Walker returned to the starting lineup after a seven-game absence from the starting five. Walker made her presence known as she scored 11 points in a season-high 33 minutes of play. It was the first time she had scored in double figures since she had a career-high 18 points versus Sam Houston State Nov. 27.
Fifty Percent From the Field
Texas Tech shot 51.3 percent from the field, hitting 20-of-39 shot attempts at Texas A&M. It marked the fourth time this season that the Lady Raiders have shot over 50 percent in a game and their first time in Big 12 play. Tech is 3-1 on the season when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
More Scoring for Seals
Junior Dominic Seals had her 17th and 18th double-figure scoring games of the season last week. Seals scored 12 against Oklahoma State, while pouring in 18 at Texas A&M.
Double-Figure Scoring Games
Junior Stanecia Graham scored a team-high 14 points against Oklahoma State, marking the first time since Dec. 18 that she had scored double figures in back-to-back games. She had 11 the previous game at Baylor. Back in December, she scored 14 against Arizona State and then 13 versus Oral Roberts. Sophomore Jordan Murphree scored 11 points to give her back-to-back games of 10 or more points. Murphree had 10 at Baylor. It was also her first time for consecutive double-figure scoring games since December when she had 12 against Oral Roberts and 16 against SMU.
Murphree Blocks High and Knocks Down Career-High 3s
Sophomore Jordan Murphree knocked down a career-high three three-pointers versus the Cowgirls, breaking her old mark of the two. She also swatted two shots, which tied her career high. She has had two blocks five times in her career, including one other time this season at UCF in the season opener.
Graham Ties Career-High Steals
Junior Stanecia Graham snatched three steals versus Oklahoma State, tying her career high. She also had three steals at Arkansas in January.
Seals' 17th Double-Digit Scoring Effort
Junior Dominic Seals chipped in 12 points against the Cowgirls for the 17th time to score in double digits this season.
Graham Pulls Down Career High
Junior Stanecia Graham pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds at Baylor last week. Graham's previous career high was 10 against Sam Houston State back in November. She also added 11 points for her second double-double.
Season Low Field Goal Percentage
The Lady Raiders shot just 24.6 percent from the field against the Lady Bears. Tech hit just 16-of-65 shot attempts.
Henderson Scores Season High at Iowa State
Junior Tiny Henderson poured in a season-high 17 points at Iowa State, just two points shy of tying her career-high of 19. She also collected five assists and season highs of six rebounds and four steals.
Season Low Turnovers
Texas Tech committed just 10 turnovers in its loss at Iowa State, marking a season low for the Lady Raiders. Their previous season low was 11 against Arizona State.
Career-High Assists for Tiny
Junior Tiny Henderson dished out a career-high eight assists against the Buffaloes, surpassing her old career high of five which she had two times in her career.
Tough Big 12 Start
Texas Tech started 0-3 in Big 12 play, before getting its first league win against then No. 24/23 Texas, 70-58, in Lubbock on Jan. 20. The 0-3 start marked the first time the Lady Raiders had started off the Big 12 season with three losses. Tech started off 0-2 in 2000 and went on to share the Big 12 title with Iowa State and Oklahoma.
Tech Suffers Worst Loss of Season
Texas Tech suffered its worst loss of the season with a 39-point loss, 78-39, at then No. 11/11 Oklahoma on Jan. 23. It was the Lady Raiders' worst loss since losing at Louisiana Tech, 95-54, on Jan. 11, 1990.
Seals Leads Tech to First Big 12 Win
Junior Dominic Seals poured in a career-high 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Texas Tech to its first Big 12 win of the season in its victory over Texas Jan. 20. It was her eighth double-double of the season. She also tied her career highs of three blocks and three assists.
Largest Margin Victory
Texas Tech won at Washington State, 89-45, marking its largest margin of victory this season. It was also the Lady Raiders' biggest win on the road since beating Colorado, 87-41, in Boulder on Jan. 15, 2005.
Longest Double-Figure Win Streak Since 1994-95
Texas Tech won its first nine games this season by double figures, which was the longest double-figure winning streak since winning 17-straight games by 10 or more points during the 1994-95 season.
Scoring Points
Texas Tech has scored at least 70 points in 13 of its 16 wins this year, already surpassing last year's total (seven times) of 70 or more points in a game. Last season, the Lady Raiders scored 70-plus points just seven times with a record of 6-1 in those games. The one loss was the only game Tech scored 80-plus points, which was an overtime loss at Oklahoma (86-81). So far this year, Tech has scored 80 or more points six times, including 90 points against Alcorn State and a season-high 91 points versus Oral Roberts.
Basketball Travelers Classic Honors
Senior Erin Myrick was named MVP of the Basketball Travelers Classic as she averaged 16.7 points and six rebounds, while shooting 80 percent from the field in Tech's three wins. She also tallied seven blocks. Junior Dominic Seals was named to the all-tournament team after she averaged 14 points and 7.7 rebounds, and shot 57.7 percent from the field.
Across the Nation
The 13 Lady Raiders hail from five states across the country with eight coming from the state of Texas. Sophomore Maddy Brown is from the furthest east, hailing from Honeoye Falls, N.Y., while senior Erin Myrick is from the furthest west coming from Duarte, Calif. Junior Stanecia Graham is from Aurora, Ill., and junior Keisha Walker calls Kansas City, Mo., home. Junior Maria Moore's hometown is Sparks, Nev.
South Plains Connection
Three current Lady Raiders were teammates at South Plains College before arriving at Texas Tech. Juniors Dominic Seals and Alana Rumph played two years for the Lady Texans, while sophomore Ashlee Roberson was there for one season. South Plains College has been a pipeline for the Lady Raiders over the years as several standouts have played at SPC prior to being a Lady Raider, including Sheryl Swoopes, Angie Braziel and Aleah Johnson, just to name a few.
Degree in Hand
Senior Erin Myrick graduated cum laude in May 2007 with a degree in broadcast journalism with minors in English and Spanish. Myrick is currently working on a second degree in public relations with a minor in general business.
On the Tube
Texas Tech had 14 regular-season games and one game of the Big 12 Championship televised this season. The Lady Raiders played on ESPN2 once, FSN three times, FSNSW once, FSNMW once and the Texas Tech Television Network eight times. Tech played at Kansas State (L, 45-71) on FSNMW. On FSN, Tech played Texas (W, 70-58), Colorado (Jan. 26) and at Baylor (L, 45-68). The Lady Raiders played on FSNSW at Texas (L, 55-70). Tech's ESPN2 game is at Texas A&M (Feb. 17). The Lady Raiders had games against IPFW (W, 72-51), Alcorn State (W, 90-55), Sam Houston State (W, 84-51), Houston (L, 63-66), Oral Roberts (W, 91-61) at Oklahoma (L, 39-78), Kansas (W, 65-61) and Oklahoma (L, 55-65) on the Texas Tech Television Network. Tech played Texas (L, 63-75) on Metro Sports in the first round of 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:
Haskell/Abilene - 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)
