Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Travel to Stillwater to Face the Cowgirls
February 19, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game 26 vs. Oklahoma State • February 21, 2009
Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611) • Stillwater, Okla. • 6 p.m.
The Game
Texas Tech (14-11/4-7) travels to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State (15-9/4-7) on Sat., Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The two schools are meeting for the second time this season and the 41st time in the series.
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 calls the game. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.texastech.com through RaiderVision All-Access. Live stats are available through at www.okstate.com.
The Lady Raiders
Texas Tech is 14-11 on the year and 4-7 in the Big 12 after losing a heartbreaker to No. 2/2 Oklahoma, 80-72, on Tuesday in Lubbock. On the year, senior Dominic Seals is averaging 13.4 points per game followed by junior Jordan Murphree at 11.2 and freshman Kierra Mallard at 9.8. Mallard is the top rebounder, grabbing 8.1 boards per outing and Seals is averaging 7.8 rebounds. Seals is shooting 44.6 percent from the field and junior Maddy Brown has a team-high 35.6 percent from the three-point line. Junior Tilmila Martin is shooting a team-best 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Senior Maria Moore has a team-high 83 assists, while Seals is the top shot blocker with 31 blocks. Murphree leads the team in steals with 40. The Lady Raiders are shooting 39.9 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from three-point range and 69.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting the Opponent
Oklahoma State owns a 15-9 overall record and is 4-7 in Big 12 play after upsetting No. 12/13 Texas, 58-52, on Wednesday night in Austin. In that game, junior Andrea Riley scored a game-high 21 points, while junior Tegan Cunningham had 13 and senior Shaunte' Smith added 12. Riley also had team highs of eight rebounds and six assists. On the year, Riley paces the Cowgirls in scoring with a 23.8 average followed by Smith at 10.9 and Cunningham at 10.5. Smith is the top rebounder, averaging 8.0 rebounder per contest. Riley has team highs of 152 assists and 52 steals. Senior Shyvon Spears is the top shot blocker with 18 blocks. OSU is shooting 41.6 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from the three-point arc and 70.2 percent from the free throw line.
The Coaches
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry is in her third season at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Curry has compiled a record of 46-43 at Tech and a career record of 225-94 in her 10th year. Kurt Budke is in his fourth year as head coach of the Cowgirls with a record of 68-50. He is also in his 16th year as a head coach with a career record of 421-97.
Series Record
It is the 41st meeting between Texas Tech and Oklahoma State with the Lady Raiders owning a 25-15 advantage over the Cowgirls. OSU won the first game this year, 65-60, in Lubbock on Jan. 31. The Cowgirls were victorious twice last year, 58-56, in Lubbock on Feb. 14, snapping a seven-game losing streak against the Lady Raiders, and then again, 73-54, on March 1, in Stillwater. Tech's last wins came in 2007 - 75-49, Jan. 6, in Lubbock and 63-61, Jan. 20, in Stillwater. Tech is 9-9 against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
Last Time vs. Oklahoma State ~ Jan. 31, 2009
(AP) - Texas Tech had three players post a double-double but it was not enough to stop Oklahoma State as the Cowgirls defeated the Lady Raiders, 65-60, The Lady Raiders got off to a rough start missing their first eight shots in first two and half minutes of the game before Maria Moore hit a three-pointer at 17:26. The Cowgirls, who led the entire game, got up by as many as 12 points in the first half at 20-8 on a layup by Kristin Hernandez with 11:45 to go in the half. Tech cut the lead to four three times, the last coming at 31-27 on a pair of free throws by Dominic Seals with 2:55 remaining. OSU led 38-30 at the break. In the second half, OSU was up by 11 points with just under eight minutes to play before the Lady Raiders went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to two at 60-58 with 4:46 to go in the contest. Andrea Riley hit a jumper with a little over four minutes to play to put the Cowgirls up 62-58. Tech's Kierra Mallard knocked down two free throws with 3:39 to go to get the Lady Raiders within two points again at 62-60. Riley responded hitting a jumper at 3:24 and then a free throw with 56 seconds left to secure the five-point win. Ashlee Roberson's jumper with 5:19 left in the game was the last time Tech would score a field goal. Seals, Mallard and Roberson all recorded double-doubles for Tech. Seals finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Mallard had 16 points and 14 boards, and Roberson added 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Riley led Oklahoma State with 33 points. The Cowgirls outshot Tech from the field 43.9 percent (25-57) to 30.9 percent (21-68). The Lady Raiders outrebounded OSU 47-to-38 and committed just 10 turnovers.
Last Time Out
(AP) - Sherri Coale believes a big comeback two months ago continues to help her No. 2 Oklahoma team continue to roll.
The Sooners rallied from nine points down Tuesday night to beat Texas Tech 80-72 and remain undefeated in Big 12 play.
In mid-December Oklahoma trailed by 26 in the second half against then-No. 9 California and ended up winning.
Courtney Paris scored 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, marking the 11th time in her career she's gotten over 20 points and rebounds in a game.
The Sooners (23-2, 11-0 Big 12) trailed 63-54 with 8:08 left before going on a 16-2 run over the next 4 1/2 minutes to take a 70-65 lead with 3:51 left. They held on for the victory marking the best record in school history through 25 games.
Ashley Paris added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Sooners, whose winning streak matches the best in program history set during the 2006 season.
Jordan Murphree scored a career-high 25 points for the Lady Raiders (14-11, 4-7).
Oklahoma trailed by four at the half before Texas Tech opened up its nine-point lead. Murphree scored seven straight points, including a 3-pointer, that gave the Lady Raiders their 63-54 advantage.
The Sooners rallied behind the Paris sisters. They combined for 12 points during the decisive spurt, including going 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Ashley Paris' free throw with 5 minutes left gave Oklahoma a 66-65 advantage -- its first lead since midway through the first half.
Texas Tech was able to get within four points twice in the final 1:33, but Oklahoma made all six of its free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
A Look Ahead
The Lady Raiders play at Baylor on Wed., Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. Tech returns to the United Spirit Arena on Sat., Feb. 28, for an 8 p.m. game against Iowa State. The Lady Raiders play at Oklahoma on Wed., March 4, at 7 p.m., and then finish regular-season play at home on Sat., March 7, against Missouri at 2 p.m. The last three games will be on the Texas Tech Television Network. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be held March 12-15, at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Change in Lineup
Head coach Kristy Curry has used 11 different lineups in 25 games this season. One lineup has been used in 11 games - Ashlee Roberson (F), Dominic Seals (F) Kierra Mallard (C), Maria Moore (G) and Jordan Murphree (G). Tech is 5-6 with this lineup.
First Top 10 Win in Curry Era
Texas Tech got its first win over a top 10 team in the Kristy Curry era as the Lady Raiders upset then No. 8/12 Texas, 65-62, in its Big 12 opener. It was the first time Tech had beaten a top 10 since beating No. 5 Baylor, 64-62, on Feb. 15, 2006, in Lubbock. Tech then got another top 10 win as it defeated then No. 12/8 Texas A&M, 60-53, on Feb. 11, in Lubbock, snapping a six-game losing streak against the Aggies.
Tech vs. the Top 25
Texas Tech is 2-6 against teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Raiders suffered their first loss to a ranked opponent as they fell to then No. 3/3 California, 68-54, on Nov. 28, in St. Thomas. Tech got its first top 25 win of the season on Jan. 10, with a 65-62 triumph over Texas in Lubbock before losing at then No. 8/6 Texas A&M, 67-56, on Jan. 13. The Lady Raiders then lost at home to then No. 18/15 Kansas State, 60-48, on Jan. 21, and then No. 5/4 Baylor, 76-64, on Jan. 24, before losing at then No. 16/18 Texas, 77-46, on Feb. 8. Tech got its second top 25 win in a 60-53 triumph over then No. 12/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 11, in Lubbock. The Lady Raiders lost a heartbreaker to then No. 2/2 Oklahoma, 80-72, in Lubbock on Feb. 17.
Murphree Pours in Career High Against Sooners
Junior Jordan Murphree poured in a career-high 25 points against No. 2/2 Oklahoma on Feb. 17. Murphree surpassed her previous career high of 22 points, which she scored against Arkansas in January.
Seals Back in Double Digits
Senior Dominic Seals scored 17 points versus the Sooners for her 21st game of double-figure scoring. She just missed her 10th double-double with nine rebounds.
Moore Comes Back
After injuring her left knee against Texas A&M and only playing three minutes at Nebraska, senior point guard Maria Moore returned to the starting lineup against Oklahoma and scored 13 points in 34 minutes of play. She also dished out three assists and snatched two steals. It was her third time in four games to score in double digits.
Cleaning the Glass
Junior Ashlee Roberson collected 11 rebounds versus Oklahoma, marking her third double-digit rebound game of the season. She grabbed a career-high 14 against Oklahoma State earlier this year and had 13 versus Arkansas in January.
Mallard Has Career High, Another Double-Double
Freshman Kierra Mallard had her 13th game of the year of double-figure scoring as she had 13 points at Nebraska. All but two of her double-digit outputs have come in the last 16 games. For the first nine games of the season, Mallard was averaging 7.1 points, and in the last 15 contests she has upped that average to 11.3 points per game. She has also increased her rebound average as well, grabbing 5.4 boards to start the season compared to 9.6 rebounds in the last 16 games.
Hitting the 3
Junior Jordan Murphree hit a career-high four three-pointers in Tech's loss at Nebraska. Her previous career high was three on three occasions in her career.
Big Minutes for Tiny
Senior Tiny Henderson got 34 minutes of playing time at Nebraska, which matched her season high in minutes as she also played 34 minutes against Washington in November. Henderson scored 10 points, tied her season-high six rebounds and tallied a season-high three steals against the Huskers. Her 10 points were just the second time this season she had scored in double figures. She scored a season-high 11 points versus South Florida in the Paradise Jam back in November.
Balanced Attack
For the fourth time this season and the first time in Big 12 play, the Lady Raiders had five players score in double figures in their win over No. 12/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 11. Freshman Kierra Mallard led the way with 15 points, while juniors Jordan Murphree and Tilmila Martin both finished with 12 points. Seniors Dominic Seals and Maria Moore had 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ninth Double-Double for Seals
Senior Dominic Seals scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Texas A&M on Feb. 11, for her ninth double-double of the season and the 18th of her career. Seals has scored in double figures in 21 of 25 games and has had double-digit rebounds on nine occasions.
Mighty Mallard
Freshman Kierra Mallard tallied a career-high five blocks at Texas. Her previous career-high was four against Arkansas in January. She also grabbed 10 rebounds against the Longhorns, marking her sixth time this season with double-digit rebounds and the third-straight game.
Texas Tech Stealers
Senior Dominic Seals and junior Ashlee Roberson both collected a career-high four steals against Savannah State. Both of their previous career highs were three on two occasions for both players. The Lady Raiders finished with a season-high 19 steals.
Three Post Double-Doubles
Texas Tech had three players post double-doubles in the loss to Oklahoma State. Senior Dominic Seals finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while freshman Kierra Mallard had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and junior Ashlee Roberson had 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. It marked Seals' eighth double-double of the season and 17th of her career, while it was the third of Mallard's career. Roberson picked up her first double-double of the season and third of her career.
Mallard Named Big 12 Freshman of the Week
Freshman Kierra Mallard was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Freshman of the Week after she averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 12 rebounds in Texas Tech's wins over UCLA and Arkansas the week of Dec. 29-Jan. 4. The Dallas, Texas, native had 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and an assist against UCLA while shooting 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the field. Mallard then recorded her first career double-double as she had career highs of 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in the victory over Arkansas. She shot 60 percent (6-of-10) from the field and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from the free throw line.
On the Tube
Texas Tech has 12 regular-season games televised this season. The Lady Raiders will appear on FSN twice, FSN Rocky Mountain (FSNRM) and Mountain West Sports Network (MWSN) once each and the Texas Tech Television Network (TTTN) seven times. Tech played at New Mexico (L, 54-63) on MWSN. The Lady Raiders hosted Baylor (L, 64-76) and played at Nebraska (L, 56-62) both on FSN. Tech was on FSNRM at Colorado (W, 66-60). Tech's seven games on the TTTN include UNLV (W, 75-63), UCLA (W, 72-62), Kansas State (L, 60-48), Oklahoma (L, 72-80), Iowa State (Feb. 28) at Oklahoma (Mar. 4) and Missouri (Mar. 7). The game on Jan. 3, against Arkansas will be televised by Arkansas on the Cox Sports Television.
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)
